How good if every citizen could be appointed a Justice of the Peace? Wouldn’t that be a way to arrest the breakdown in the law and order situation in the country we are witnessing today? That is the thought that passed through my mind when I read the Govt. Gazette Notification No. 1210 of November 9, 2001 issued under the name of the Minister of Justice which gazetted the appointment of 400 (less four) Justices of the Peace through a single gazette notification.

The lists gazetted are in four groups. The first two dated October 12 containing 100 names each; the third dated October 17, 2001 also containing 100 names; and the fourth group dated October 16, 2001 containing 96 names. Why wasn’t the last list rounded up? Defections?

This important decision which should go to mitigate the break down in the law and order situation must have been the result of a Cabinet decision - the smaller and wiser cabinet I mean? The rest of the people in the country can wait for their turn after the elections. The only hitch is that the appointments came so close to the announcement of the General Election and the Law and order situation has become worse since.

I hope that will not put a damper to further appointments. Even if the law and order situation does not improve one could say "Api Okkoma Rajawaru", "JAYASRI" to all.

Perhaps, the LTTE could learn a lesson and appoint all the people in the North-East as JPs. Then there could be peace in the whole island if one looks at it that way. If that is too high a stake Prabhakaran could at least find it a way to replenish his dwindling resources to finance his war machine now that fund raising overseas is becoming more difficult.

At a moderate estimate of one lakh of Rupees for each appointment how many millions of Rupees he could garner? Over to you Mr. Prabhakaran.
Peace Lover
Colombo