Over the last month, more than 100 Belizeans were sworn in as new Justices of the Peace.
44 of those new JPs took the oath from the Attorney General at a ceremony which was held in Ranchito Village, Corozal - the constituency of the AG's brother, Florencio Marin Jr.
With video provided by the government press office, here's what the lead officials responsible for JPs had to say about the public responsibility they now carry:
Hon. Magali Marin-Young - Attorney General
"44 Justices of Peace were sworn in for the Corozal District. They were selected by their community, and as persons who the community trust to perform those duties."
Adrian Danny Madrid - National President, Association of JPs
"The new JPs have to attend training because training is very important. The JPs who are not trained are the ones who go out there and make a lot of mistakes. So, we want to avoid that because if you read the act, the act tells you that if you commit yourself, it doesn't matter what kind of mistake you make, you can go to prison for 6 months, or you can be charged $500 dollars. So, we want to prevent that. We want our JPs to know what they're doing, especially the new JPs."
Hon. Magali Marin-Young
"It is important that these people be trustworthy. They perform important functions in assisting in the administration of justice. They authenticate documents. They have the power of arrest. They assist police in their various functions, including when they're interviewing witnesses, visiting the prison. They also keep the peace in their communities. If there's an altercation, they can intervene. If the police are required, then they call the police in. So, they assist. They are our soldiers on the ground - if you will - that assist generally. It is important that they bear in mind that it is a community service. There is no remuneration for the service, and there should be no solicitation for remuneration for the service."
