If you need the services of a Justice of the Peace please come to my office anytime from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

The most common functions performed by a JP in NSW are to:

• witness the signing of a statutory declaration which is a written statement a person declares to be true in the presence of an authorised witness.Various organisations often require information to be provided to them in a statutory declaration.

• witness the signing of an affidavit which is a written statement for use as evidence in court proceedings. A person who makes an affidavit must promise that he or she is telling the truth, in the presence of an authorised witness.

• certify that a copy of an original document is a true copy. Various organisations sometimes accept a certified copy of a document, instead of the original. This avoids a person having to mail or submit the original of a precious document, like a birth certificate or academic qualification.

Who are JPs?

• JPs are appointed by the Governor of New South Wales for five-year terms. They are volunteers, who come from all walks of life and all sections of the community.

• JPs are people who are trusted to be honest, careful and impartial, when performing the functions of a JP.

What can I expect from a JP?

Before a JP can witness you signing a statutory declaration or affidavit, the JP is required to:

• check the document is completed correctly

• ask you questions to make sure you understand the purpose, effect and content of the document

• warn you it is a serious criminal offence to make a false statement in the document, and that the penalties include imprisonment

• confirm your identity (if the JP has not known you for 12 months or more, the JP must see your identification document)

• watch you sign the document in the JP’s presence.

• Before a JP can certify a copy of an original document, the JP must have both the original document and the copy physically in front of him/her.

• A JP is required to always comply with the law and follow the proper procedure. JPs who fail to do so can be fined or have their appointments revoked.

A JP must not:

• charge you a fee or accept a gift for providing JP services

• tell you what to write in a statutory declaration or affidavit, or write it for you

• give you legal advice.

Do you want to be a JP?

Click here for an online application form.