By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2020 – As a former member of the Rotary Club of Lucaya when I was editor of the Freeport News from 2003 to 2009, I would like to congratulate past-president of the Rotary Club of Lucaya Clifford S. Bowe of Freeport, Grand Bahama, on being sworn in as a Justice of the Peace on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 by Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbie Ferguson.
Clifford became a member of the Rotary Club of Lucaya in 2010 and his achievements in the club since then exemplify the true meaning of Rotary International’s motto, Service Above Self: From 2010 to 2014 he was Vocational Servicer Director; Rotarian of the Year, 2011-2012; Rotarian of the Year Sunshine Award, 2012-2013; President-elect, 2013-2014; and President, 2014-2015.
He is currently the club’s Rotarian of the Year and District Youth Service Chair.
The practice of countries appointing Justices of Peace dates back to the 12th century in England when persons where appointed by the King as ‘Keepers of the Peace” to assist law enforcement officials in ensuring citizens abide by the law.
According to Wikipedia, a Justice of the Peace (JP) “is a judicial officer of a lower or puisne court, elected or appointed by means of a commission (letters patent) to keep the peace.”
“Depending on the jurisdiction, such justices dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions,” Wikipedia states. “Justices of the peace are appointed or elected from the citizens of the jurisdiction in which they serve, and are (or were) usually not required to have any formal legal education in order to qualify for the office. Some jurisdictions have varying forms of training for JPs.”
Wikipedia adds: “In 1195, Richard I (“the Lionheart”) of England and his Minister Hubert Walter commissioned certain knights to preserve the peace in unruly areas. They were responsible to the King in ensuring that the law was upheld and preserving the “King’s peace”. Therefore, they were known as “keepers of the peace.”
