Scattered throughout the Moreton Bay Region are volunteers willing and able to assist those in need, whether it be as a Justice of the Peace (JP) or Commissioner for Declarations (Cdec). This program is coordinated by the JPs in the Community Program.
The volunteer-based program is run by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General’s office and provides numerous signing centres within the community; in shopping centres, libraries, courthouses and hospitals.
Most of us during our lives will require the assistance of a JP or Cdec with the witnessing, issuing or certifying of many documents. These include, but are not limited to, statutory declarations, wills, affidavits, warrants and land title transfers.
As our existence grows more dependent upon the use of email and internet-based communication for a multitude of legal transactions, there will continue to be a need for those qualified to certify the legitimacy of our documents. The Justice of the Peace is trained to witness and affirm these documents.
The Commissioner for Declarations maintains a similar function, but without the ability to issue search/arrest warrants or grant bail.
The Burpengary Library at 101 Station Road Burpengary, currently offers the JPs in the Community Program Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 10am and 1pm and Saturdays from 9:30am to 12:30pm.
Sara Allard, the Burpengary Library JP Co-ordinator states, “The goal is to eventually have this service operating six days a week.”
Considering the program has been established at the Burpengary Library for several years, many clients are surprised to find a JP located so accessibly to help them. While the shopping centre volunteers can be quite in demand, “Here at the Library, we are noticeably less busy”, maintains JP, Peter Linn, who volunteers at two different signing centres across the north side of Brisbane.
For Kallangur residents, the program operates out of the Kallangur Newsagency at 1406 Anzac Avenue, on Tuesdays between 1pm and 3pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
If you are a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner of Declarations and wish to give back to your local community, please contact Sara on 0439 866 682. If you are interested in helping at the Burpengary Library, email jpsinthecommunity@justice.qld.gov.au for further information.
For the many other locations around Moreton Bay, please visit the JPs in the Community website via www.justice.qld.gov.au