Ontario, Canada -- A former Grenadian diplomat in Canada is among the latest list of Justice of the Peace appointments announced by Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant.

George Griffith, Grenada first resident High Commissioner in Ottawa, considers it a great honour to be appointed to serve in the province that he has resided in for almost three decades.

"I would certainly strive to carry out my duties with diligence and in an efficient manner", he said."As a Caribbean-born person, I will take my examples from those other Caribbean-born persons who have gone before me and have performed well as participants in the administration of the justice system in Ontario and in Canada", he added.

A graduate of the Grenada Boys Secondary School, Griffith came to Canada in 1963 as the first Grenadian to be granted a full Canadian Government Scholarship. He graduated from the University of Toronto's Trinity College with a Bachelor's Degree in 1967 and the University of Western Ontario with a Masters Degree three years later.

He received a diplomat in international Relations from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in 1972 and worked as a senior assistant secretary with Grenada's Ministry of External Affairs before securing his first diplomatic assignment.

Griffith helped to set up the first ever High Commission Office for Grenada in 1974 shortly after Independence and served as Charge d'Affairs before being appointed High Commissioner in 1977. After leaving the diplomatic service, he held the positions of Director of Canadian Programs with the World University Service of Canada; Head of the Conference Secretariat with the Department of Fisheries and Ocean; Director of Visits, conferences and protocol wit Canada's Department of Finance and Labour and Liaison Officer in Canada for the Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service.

In his six years as liaison officer for the seasonal farm workers program, approximately 450 workers came to Canada annually to work in Ontario's farming community. Griffith also served two stints as a member of the Federal Immigration and Refugee Board.

ŒAs a Canadian citizen, I feel a deep sense of obligation to give back to the community and the country" Griffith said.  The Pickering resident has been assigned to work in Oshawa. In announcing the appointments, Bryant reiterated that Justices of the Peace are an integral and important part of the justice system.

"I am confident these qualified individuals will make a valuable contribution to the Ontario Court of Justice bench", he said. Bryant has announced the appointment of 67 full time presiding Justices of the Peace since October 2003.