MANDEVILLE, Jamaica — During a formal commissioning ceremony for 27 newly appointed justices of the peace (JPs) in Manchester Parish this Thursday, Senior Parish Judge John Tyme delivered an urgent, stark warning to the new public servants, grounding his caution in a high-profile 2018 sexual assault case that exposed critical gaps in reference vetting practices across the island. The incident, which unfolded at a Montego Bay resort, saw a wanted hotel employee attack two international tourists — a tragedy that directly stemmed from an unvetted character reference provided by a sitting JP, Tyme explained.
The offender at the center of the case, Demar Scott, worked as an entertainment coordinator at the Montego Bay resort when he carried out the assault. Years before the attack, in 2015, Scott had been placed on the Manchester Parish Police’s most wanted list in connection with an earlier rape charge. Despite his outstanding warrant, Scott secured a character recommendation from a JP based in St Catherine Parish that was included in his job application for the resort position, clearing his path to employment that put him in contact with vulnerable visitors.
Tyme walked the new JPs through the chilling details of the 2018 attack: Scott, who had stolen a firearm prior to entering the tourists’ hotel room, committed the sexual assaults before the gun slipped from his possession, and one of the victims shot him in self-defense. Scott survived the shooting and was apprehended by police in Clarendon Parish 24 hours after the incident. In March 2022, he pleaded guilty at St James Parish Court to two counts of rape, two counts of grievous sexual assault, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Tyme emphasized that the case is far from an abstract hypothetical for new JPs. Following amendments to the Justice of the Peace Act that expanded JPs’ jurisdiction to cover the entire island of Jamaica, rather than limiting authorization to their home parish, JPs now regularly receive reference requests from individuals residing outside their local communities. This expanded authority, Tyme stressed, comes with greater responsibility to conduct full background checks before affixing a signature to any character endorsement.
“When persons speak to you about making sure that when you affix your signature that you are, in fact, attesting to what you know, based on what you have researched, it is not abstract, it is real,” Tyme told the gathering. The case sparked widespread public scrutiny of the JP system over the failure to flag Scott’s outstanding warrant, he noted, underscoring how a single unchecked endorsement can have devastating, far-reaching consequences for public safety.
Head of the Manchester Parish Police Superintendent Carey Duncan echoed Tyme’s warning during the event, held at Mandeville’s Garden Hotel. Duncan urged the new JPs to reject casual requests for references, framing the JP’s official seal as a public trust rather than a favor to grant to friends or acquaintances.
“The fastest way to lose public trust is to treat the JP seal like a favour. Say ‘no’ when you must. Verify identity, read the document; if something feels off, pause, because one careless signature can damage a life. One careful refusal can protect many,” Duncan said.
Beyond the safety warning, the ceremony also addressed ongoing efforts to expand and revitalize Manchester’s JP cohort. Custos of Manchester Garfield Green announced that the 27 new appointments will bring the parish’s total number of active JPs to roughly 500. To meet the community’s needs aligned with population size, the parish requires a total of 2,000 JPs, leaving a gap of 1,500 additional appointees. Green explained that an aging JP population has created this gap, as many long-serving JPs pass away, leaving vacant positions.
To address the shortfall, parish officials are actively recruiting younger eligible candidates to serve, Green said. The initiative has already seen steady progress: since Green took office, 40 percent of all newly commissioned JPs are under the age of 40, a marked shift toward a younger, more representative cohort. Green issued a public call for eligible residents to apply, outlining key requirements for appointment: candidates must be at least 23 years old, Jamaican citizens, proficient in written and spoken English, and hold a record of unwavering integrity and outstanding standing in their local communities.