FAQ

To help the JP to complete the task correctly, you should bring

• some form of photo ID such as your passport or driver licence
• any notes or instructions that came with your documents
• your own pen (black or blue ink)
• your phone, tablet, or computer, if your original documents are online

If you want the JP to certify copies of documents

• make copies of your originals before seeing the JP
• take the originals and the copies with you, so they can be compared
• sort the originals and the copies into separate groups with the documents in the same order

Becoming a Justice of the Peace is an interesting and effective way to serve your community.
As a JP you will help people from all walks of life, often for many years.

People of all ages, who are already serving their community in some way, are welcome to apply.
Perhaps you are working with an ethnic, iwi, or church group, foodbank, school, or sports club or …

We encourage you to contact the Waikato JP Association before you apply. We’ll put you in touch with JPs close to where you live. They will be pleased to meet you and answer your questions.

To become a JP, your local Member of Parliament must nominate you.
They have to be sure that

• there is a need for another JP in your area and
• you are personally suitable to be a JP

What makes someone suitable to be a JP?
If you want to be a JP, you need to be:

• a New Zealand citizen or resident, and on the electoral roll
• confident using a computer
• well-regarded in your community as a person of good sense, character and integrity
• good at written and spoken English
• able to listen, understand and respond positively to others
• accurate and able to follow specific instructions

and you will

• have a genuine desire to serve your community and an adequate standard of education
• show initiative when faced with unusual requests
• declare any criminal convictions
• not be bankrupt

How to be nominated to be a JP

Collect a nomination form:

• from your local MP’s electorate office
• by downloading it from the Ministry of Justice website
• from inside the Justice of the Peace Best Practice Manual

Complete the nomination form.
It includes a Statutory Declaration that you will need processed by a JP.

Collect the following documents:

• Supporting letters from an office holder of at least two community groups you work with.
  The letters should say why the office holder thinks you will be suitable to be a JP
• A curriculum vitae (CV) that lists your work and community service activities.
• A written paragraph explaining why you think you are suitable for the role of JP.

Take the completed nomination form and documents to your electorate MP’s electorate office.
Your MP may interview you and/or talk to your local JP association.

If they consider you are suitable, your local MP will forward your application to the Minister of Justice.

As part of the process of assessing your nomination, you will be interviewed by a representative of the District Court and a member of your local Justices of the Peace Association. Each of these people then writes a confidential report to the Minister of Justice, regarding your suitability to be appointed.

After the interview, the Minister of Justice or delegated Associate Minister may either approve or decline your application.

What happens if your application is successful?

The Royal Federation of NZ Justices’ Associations will send you an initial training pack. This includes on-line study materials which you have to complete within six weeks. You will also have at least one face-to-face training session.
You will learn how to carry out JP tasks such as

• Witnessing signatures on documents
• Certifying copies of documents (including email attachments and phone messages)
• Taking statutory declarations and affidavits
• Confirming a person’s identity

If you complete the initial training successfully and pass a final test, the Minister of Justice will recommend that the Governor-General appoints you as a JP. The Minister will also send you an appointment letter.
The final step is to be sworn in as a Judicial Officer, by a District Court judge.

The appointment process might be completed as little as 6 months or take more than a year.

Nothing. Our services are provided absolutely free of charge.
JPs are not allowed to accept payment nor any kind of gift.

If you ask a JP to photocopy a document for you, they may ask you to pay for the copy.

You may see this icon next to a JPs name.

Accreditation challenges JPs to strive for excellence in their delivery of quality services to the New Zealand community.
To become accredited, a JP has to complete a 50-question on-line assessment with at least 90% correct. The result is valid for 2 years.
JPs must also take part in regular professional development activities.

So, if you see the green tick, you can be confident that the JP has the skills, current knowledge and competence to do the task.

If you need a certified copy of an on-line document (such as a power bill, bank statement)…

You can

1. print a copy of the on-line document before visiting the JP.
2. take your smartphone, tablet or laptop when you visit the JP.
3. they will ask you to login on your device, to the website or email account where the document is stored.
4. the JP will compare the on-line document with the printed copy.
5. if the on-line version and the copy are identical. the JP will certify the copy.
6. once the JP has finished, you log out of your account.

What if you don’t have a mobile device?

1. when you make the appointment to see a JP, ask if they have a computer you can use.
2. print a copy of the on-line document before visiting the JP.
3. to protect your private details, you login to the website or email account where the document is stored.
4. the JP will compare the on-line document with the printed copy.
5. if the on-line version and the copy are identical. the JP will certify the copy.
6. once the JP has finished, you log out of your account.

Justices of the Peace may be away from their contact phone or address at the times you wish to have your documents completed.

You may have to try several phone numbers before you locate someone who can help you.

Many areas now run service desks where a JP will see you, with no appointment needed.

Justices of the Peace lead busy lives and the work we do is voluntary. We try to accommodate the requests of members of the public at all reasonable times and within reasonable time frames.

JPs are not allowed to ask for or accept payment or gifts for their services.

We are sometimes asked by clients if they can make a donation.
The Waikato Justices of the Peace Association is recognised as a ‘donee organisation’ by IRD.
This means that any cash donation of $5.00 or more is eligible for a tax credit of $0.33 for each dollar donated.
To support our work in this way, you may make a direct credit to our bank account 06 0317 0042014 00.
Please include your surname in the payment details and the word donation in the reference field.
If you would like a tax receipt, email the Registrar registrar@jpwaikato.org.nz.
Provide your name, the date you made the donation, and the amount.

Remember, there is absolutely no pressure to make a donation.
We are committed to making our services available to everyone in the community without charge.