JAMAICA | Kirkland Becomes Second Woman to Lead Lay Magistrates as She Pledges Unity and Reform

Only the second female president in the Association’s four-decade history, Paulette Kirkland charts course for modernisation and community engagement

Paulette Kirkland, a former president of the Kingston Chapter of the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica, has been installed as President, becoming only the second woman to lead the organisation in its more than forty-year history.

The veteran justice of the peace and long-time stalwart of the LMAJ executive, widely regarded as an iconic figure in East Kingston’s justice community, assumed the helm at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on January 17, commencing her 2025-2026 term.

Kirkland succeeds Lynden Trevor Heaven, the Mandeville-based businessman and chartered engineer who guided the organisation through recent years of expansion and infrastructure development, including efforts to establish parish-level secretariats for justices of the peace across the island.

In accepting her new mandate, Kirkland struck a tone of measured ambition coupled with collective purpose. “We do not want to walk fast, but we intend to walk far by walking together,” she declared to assembled magistrates and dignitaries, a statement that drew robust applause and would come to define her vision for the organisation’s future direction.

The new president follows in the footsteps of Dr Clover Thompson Gordon, who served as the first female president from 1996 to 2000. Kirkland acknowledged the legacy built by her predecessors, describing the LMAJ as a “noble organisation” while outlining a forward-looking agenda centred on internal strengthening and enhanced external engagement.

Central to her programme is the modernisation of the Association’s governance framework and bolstering the capacity of its Parish Chapters to ensure consistent service delivery nationwide.

While many Jamaicans associate justices of the peace primarily with certifying photographs and witnessing statutory declarations and affidavits, the role extends far beyond those functions.

Justices of the peace adjudicate criminal matters within the jurisdiction of the Petty Sessions Court, preside over matters in the Children’s Court, determine applications for spirit licences, sit in the Drug Court, and resolve disputes through mediation.

Additionally, JPs take seriously their responsibility of visiting and assessing conditions within police lockups, with improvements often implemented as a result of such interventions. They also observe the processing of Jamaicans deported from other countries to ensure the process is professionally executed and that returnees are treated with compassion and dignity.

Through parish chapters, the LMAJ implements programmes designed to improve community life, including awarding scholarships to students, providing treats for residents, visiting the sick and infirm, hosting health fairs, and undertaking Labour Day projects across the island.

In a significant move aimed at demystifying this broad mandate and raising the organisation’s public profile, Kirkland announced plans for a revitalised public education drive. This will feature increased media outreach, more strategic use of digital platforms, and the hosting of quarterly public forums to address community concerns and advance legal education.

“The strength of the lay magistrate is in our connection to the communities we serve. It is imperative that we strengthen that bond through dialogue and visibility,” she stated.

Days after her installation, Kirkland addressed the Manchester Chapter’s half-yearly meeting in Mandeville, where she elaborated on her expectations for members.

Emphasising that justice delayed is justice denied, she urged lay magistrates to engage proactively with court clerks and police officers to ensure cases are properly prepared and that sitting days are productive. She called for continuous training, ethical leadership, and unwavering commitment to fairness and impartiality.

“As Lay Magistrates, you stand at the intersection of law and community. Your decisions shape lives, your presence strengthens institutions, and your integrity builds confidence,” she told the gathering.

The Association is also set to deepen its involvement in juvenile justice. Kirkland revealed that the LMAJ has been invited to continue and expand its participation in diversion programmes for children in conflict with the law, initiatives that offer rehabilitative alternatives to formal court proceedings.

The LMAJ has signalled its intention to extend outreach programmes to include regular visits to schools and colleges to engage younger citizens on civic responsibility and the consequences of criminal activity, while also considering regular community meetings throughout the country on similar themes.

In addition to the LMAJ’s existing mandate, Kirkland is exploring participation in Psychological First Aid (PFA) training through the Ministry of Health and Wellness. PFA, which emphasises humane, supportive and practical help for people affected by crisis, does not require clinical expertise and can be implemented by community leaders, including justices of the peace.

Such training would enhance the Association’s existing functions while positioning lay magistrates as community mental health gatekeepers, aligning with Kirkland’s emphasis on strengthening community bonds.

As she steps into this leadership role, Kirkland inherits an organisation whose members remain resolute in their commitment to Jamaica’s justice system. Lay magistrates are non-partisan, unpaid volunteers whose impact is measured in the child who receives timely protection and the family that finds resolution instead of conflict.

Her call for collective strides—walking together rather than walking fast—signals a chapter of renewed purpose for the hundreds of lay magistrates serving communities across the island.

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