AN extract of the Laws of Guyana – Summary jurisdiction (Magistrates’) Act Chapter 3:05, Part II Section 14 – 20 Justices of the Peace
14. (1) The President may, by an instrument under his hand and the public seal, appoint any fit and proper person to be a Justice of the Peace for Guyana or any portion thereof. Such appointment may be limited as to time.
(2) The President may in like manner, for cause appearing to him sufficient, remove any justice of the peace from office.
(3) Every appointment and removal shall be notified in the Gazette
15. The Registrar of the Supreme Court and every District Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioner and Clerk of Court for the time being shall ex officio be a justice of the peace for Guyana.
16. In the month of January in every year there shall be published in the Gazette a list of all justices of the peace for the time being holding office and in the list there shall be stated the profession, occupation, or calling, and the place of residence, of each justice.
17. Every justice shall be ex officio a coroner in and for Guyana or in and for that portion of Guyana for which he is a justice of the peace.
18. (1) Subject to the provisions of this and of any other Act, every justice of the peace shall have power to preserve the peace, to suppress riots and affrays, and to dispense all disorderly and tumultuous assemblages, and for any of these purposes to call in the aid and assistance of all citizens of Guyana, who shall be severally bound to obey all lawful commands.
(2) Subject as aforesaid, every justice shall have the same power as a magistrate to issue warrants for the apprehension and commitment for safe custody of persons charged with indictable offences; to remand persons charged with offences, whether punishable on summary conviction or on indictment; to issue search warrants in respect of indictable offences, or in respect of any other offence in which a magistrate has power to issue a search warrant, and to administer oaths in cases allowed by law.
(3) The President may in an instrument appointing a justice of the peace empower him to issue warrants for the apprehension and commitment for safe custody of persons charged with offences punishable on summary conviction.
19. Any justice in whose presence any indictable offence or breach of the peace is committed may either himself apprehend the offender or verbally command any other person to do so; and that person may thereupon follow the offender and, if he flees, carry into effect the execute the command, whether in or out of the view of the justice by whom it was given.
20. The jurisdiction of every justice shall extend throughout Guyana or throughout that portion of Guyana or which he is a justice of the peace.
HERMON BHOLAISINGH