Mandeville, Manchester – The Ministry of Justice says lay magistrates who actively participate in political campaigns should be removed from the judicial roster.

Carol Palmer, the ministry’s permanent secretary, told the Observer that although it is not illegal for a lay magistrate to campaign politically, it goes against the ministry’s official code of conduct.

“It is not against the law, but there is a code of conduct which we have just issued, and in the justice system, you need to be circumspect in how you operate,” Palmer explained. “So for you to be actively campaigning and then the next morning you are on the bench it doesn’t work, so we are asking the custodes to see that they are removed from the roster.”

Palmer’s comments came in the context of the current political campaign in Jamaica, ahead of parliamentary elections which are constitutionally due before November. She was speaking to the Observer following the recent 15th Annual Meeting of the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica, Manchester Chapter, held at the Golf View Hotel.

Justice of the peace Jean Anderson, who was recently elected next president of the association, was formally introduced at the meeting. Anderson will become the Manchester Chapter’s first female president and will succeed incumbent president Herbert L Brown in January 2008.

In her presentation to the lay magistrates, Palmer announced plans for the new Manchester Judicial complex in Hope, near Spur Tree, which will replace the Mandeville courthouse as the parish’s judicial headquarters. The new complex will be situated on 40 acres of land and is estimated to cost $600 million to build. However, the project is still in its architectural phase.