KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Justice says it has begun rolling out new seals to Justices of the Peace (JP) with the word ‘Jamaica’ engraved instead of parish names.

This move follows the passage of the Justice of the Peace Act, 2018, which has widened the jurisdiction of JPs to carry out their functions across all parishes, instead of only the parish in which they reside or work, as was previously the case, the Ministry said in a statement.

However, the widening of jurisdiction does not extend to judicial functions, such as serving as a Justice in the Lay Magistrates Court or when considering applications for bail, the Justice Ministry added.

The Ministry said that since January 2021 it has commenced the issuing of new seals to recently commissioned JPs.  The replacement of old seals issued prior to that month will be done in phases and should be completed by March 31, 2026. The seals that bear the parish name will remain valid until that date, the Ministry cautioned.

To facilitate changes to the seals, the Justices of the Peace (Official Seals) Regulations, 2004 was also amended, the Ministry said.  Under the Justices of the Peace Act, 2018, each appointed JP is assigned an official seal to execute the functions of the office.