“It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.” We often take. Do you really give? I never take happiness for granted. We will be respected only when we have sought how to serve the unfortunate ones around us and , so often, the community at large.
I am one of the Justices of the Peace (太平紳士) in Hong Kong. The history of Justices of the Peace can be traced as far back as 1195, when the English King Richard I commissioned certain knights to preserve the peace in some unruly areas. They were responsible, as Keepers of the Peace, to the King for ensuring that the law was upheld.
Hong Kong was a British colony. Despite the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China on 1st July 1997, the tradition of appointing certain citizens as the Justices of the Peace (JP) was kept. There are now about 2,000 JPs, official and non-official ones.
The chief duty of the Justices of the Peace is to visit custodial institutions, such as prisons and mental hospitals, and detention centres (including the detention facilities of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Immigration Department) to ensure that such facilities are managed in a way that no inmate is unfairly treated or deprived of his or her rights. A Justice of the Peace is invited also for other functions. During the drawing of Mark Six “六合彩” (it is a lottery game organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club), a JP and a representative from a beneficiary organisation of the Lotteries Fund will be present to monitor the drawing.
He is often invited to attend the passing-out parades of the Hong Kong Police College and other disciplinary forces.
For some countries, they may require a JP to attest that the photograph, signature or document of a Hong Kong person is true and authentic.
I was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2006. 90% of my duties has been about visits to custodial institutions. The reward of doing one duty is the recognition to do another. It ends up that I was given more and more pro bono jobs in the past.
The “go around” route is usually like this: an official JP and me, an un-official JP, will go together to the institution in the morning. The officer-in-charge will meet-and-greet. He will take us to his office and give us a brief introduction of the history and nature of his institution. For example, Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, established in 1972, is a maximum security institution for detainees and prisoners who require psychiatric care and treatment.
The officer-in-charge, after the introduction, will lead 2 of us down the various places: cells, canteens, recreation rooms, medical care centre, sports facilities, libraries, workshops, and sometimes shower area. The most delightful journey is into the kitchen. We will be offered to taste the standard meals for inmates like Chinese dish, western food, curry rice and even vegetarian recipes. I remember that on one occasion, I was asked to try a dessert “sweet coconut soup with sago”. Very yummy!
When a JP arrives at a particular place, the inmates there will stand up and shout, “Good morning, sir!” One of the officers will speak up, “The Justice of the Peace is here! Any complaint?”
There are very few complaints, usually about not having much choice in relation to fruits and books. The nature of most “complaints” is actually requests for the exception to the rule.
The world is a book, and those who do not see new things read only half a page. At my age, I am glad that I can still race to see many places (in fact, the more, the better!) that are unfamiliar to me like institutions of confinement. Despite the eye-opening visit, the other official and I do not lose sight of my duty of putting down our comments in words. After the writing exercise, the officer-in-charge thanks and escorts us to the exit gate. The inspection normally lasts before one o’clock and it is time for lunch!
Fame is pearl and status is rose. Pearl is always in love with rose. I am already off such a hook. I just enjoy what I want to do and serve. The title of a “JP” means very little at present when I am confidently in the final stretch of my life!
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