JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Justices of the Peace are appointed under the Justices of the Peace Act 1989 to serve the ACT community by carrying out various functions set out in ACT legislation.

Some of the more common tasks performed by a Justice of the Peace include:

  • administering oaths or affidavits, witnessing statutory declarations and taking affirmations;
  • witnessing signatures; and
  • attesting and certifying documents.

Additional information on the role of Justices of the Peace and becoming a Justice of the Peace is available on the Access Canberra website.

Some Court Registry staff serve as Justices of the Peace and can process documents meant for Court use only; they will not handle personal documents.

Volunteer Justices of the Peace are available to deal with documents that cannot be dealt with by Court staff. The volunteers are situated on the ground floor of the court building. Their hours are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

As the Court cannot guarantee the daily availability of volunteer Justices of the Peace, it is advisable to contact the Court Registry on (02) 6205 0000 (option 0) to ask if a JP is on duty in the foyer or visit the ACT Justices of the Peace Association website to find other locations.

To find a Justice of the Peace by suburb search the Justice of the Peace Register or you can find a JP through the ACT Justice of the Peace Association website.