Training Starts for JPs to Handle Domestic Violence Cases

After months of delays, the government has begun training a group of select senior Justices of the Peace (JPs) who will have the power to issue emergency protection orders for victims of domestic violence when courts are closed.

Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre said the new mechanism allows a victim to walk into a designated police station on a weekend or public holiday and obtain an interim protection order without having to wait for the courts to reopen. The order takes effect immediately, with police identifying and serving the respondent, who is then formally notified of the conditions. When the courts reopen, usually on the next business day, the case is assigned to a magistrate for a full hearing with both parties present.

Sylvestre said the process took longer than expected due to coordination among multiple agencies, including the police, magistracy, and human development. “Given the nature of the collaboration that had to be undertaken with the various agencies… [it] required some careful thought and planning,” he said.

“In total, all persons who have been selected would have served at least fifteen years with an unblemished record.” Sylvester explained that individuals must have served at least ten years as a Justice of the Peace before becoming a Senior Justice of the Peace, and then complete an additional five years before qualifying as a Select Senior Justice of the Peace.

Addressing concerns about cases involving police officers as alleged offenders, Sylvestre said specially selected officers will oversee the process. He noted that they were chosen based on their ability to carry out their duties impartially and without fear or favour.

Sylvestre said that concern was precisely why specific police officers have been selected and trained to manage the process, chosen for their record of carrying out duties “without fear or favour”.

The Attorney General also confirmed that victims will not be charged fees to access interim protection orders during weekends or holidays. Costs, if any, will be addressed later when cases proceed in court.