After thirty-seven years doing JP services for Martinborough, David Kershaw is retiring from the service. His age and peripatetic lifestyle are the contributing factors in his decision.
Martinborough has six JPs listed and of these, four live in town intermittently and one lives at Tora.
So, we have a need to encourage more citizens to consider becoming a JP and give a better service to the town and district and ease the demands on the current JP’s.
“Anyone who is interested in being involved in our community in an interesting and helpful way should consider this. Especially if you are already involved but would like to expand your volunteering options.”
A quote from a current JP: My thoughts on why I became a JP; it was because my children had grown so no longer involved in committed, fundraiser etc children related. So, I thought this can be my community service and I’ll ringfence my volunteer work primarily to that. It has worked well for me; I’ve enjoyed it far more than I expected and learned a lot of useful life skills along the way.
What does being a Justice of the Peace of New Zealand entail? The following is taken from the informative Justices website:
A Justice of the Peace (JP) in New Zealand is a trusted, trained volunteer who provides free, essential judicial and ministerial services to the community. They primarily witness signatures, certify document copies (e.g., passports, bank docs), and take affidavits, declarations, or affirmations. They are available at service desks or by appointment.
Key functions of a JP in NZ include:
Document Certification: Certified true copies of original documents, including those viewed on screen.
Witnessing Signatures: Witnessing documents such as separation agreements, enduring powers of attorney, or statutory declarations.
Affidavits and Declarations: Taking oaths, declarations, and affirmations for court or official purposes.
Identity Verification: Confirming identity for financial institutions, KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements, or official applications.
Judicial Duties: Some trained JPs can perform judicial tasks like issuing search warrants, remands, or presiding over minor court cases.
If anyone is mildly interested and would like to discuss this possibility further.
Please contact a JP’s listed:
David Kershaw 021 625 327
Sir Bruce Ferguson 021 936 253
Jenny Boyne 022 3078 869
Pru Harawira-Smith 027 406 9623
Sarah Monaghan 027 631 2067
Cathy Jamieson 021 773 073
Colleen Douglass 027 609 0838
