Jurisdiction and functions

(1) Every Justice of the Peace and Senior Justice of the Peace shall have and exercise all such powers, privileges, rights and jurisdiction throughout Belize as are conferred upon him under this Act or any other written law. (2) A Justice of the Peace and a Senior Justice of the Peace shall have and exercise concurrent jurisdiction with Magistrates with respect to the following, (a) the issuing of summonses and warrants of arrest and search warrants and other process of Court; (b) the granting of bail and the fixing of the amount thereof; (c) the taking of recognisances; (d) the remanding of defendants in custody; (e) the binding over of parties and witnesses; (f) witnessing the execution of deeds and other documents; (g) administering oaths and affirmations in cases allowed by law; 8 (h) the issuing of warrants of apprehension and commitment for safe custody of persons charged with conviction or indictable offences; (i) the remand of persons charged with offences, whether punishable on summary conviction or on indictment; (j) the receiving of complaints in respect of summary conviction or indictable offences; (k) the preservation of the peace, the suppression of riots and affrays and the dispersion of all disorderly, unlawful or tumultuous assemblages; (l) calling in aid the assistance of any person, for the purpose of exercising the powers specified in this subsection, and requiring such person to faithfully obey his lawful commands. (3) A Justice of the Peace and a Senior Justice of the Peace shall also perform the following functions, (a) the authentication of written statements made by an accused or suspected person and, before authenticating such statements, ensuring the voluntariness thereof in accordance with the laws of Belize; (b) the witnessing of identification parades in order to ensure that such parades are conducted in accordance with the Judge’s Rules; and 9 (c) the performance of such other functions as are required by the Judge’s Rules or under any written law. (4) Any Justice of the Peace or Senior Justice of the Peace in whose presence any summary conviction or indictable offence or a breach of the peace is committed may either himself apprehend the offender or orally order any other person to do so, and the person so ordered may follow the offender if he flees, and carry into effect and execute the order, whether in or out of the view of the Justice of the Peace or Senior Justice of the Peace by whom the order was given.