By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG Justices of the Peace are shouldering a doubled workload because of a Department of Justice backlog on new appointments.
Coordinator of the voluntary JP roster, Joan Scott, said JPs signed more than 5000 documents last month.
She said JPs faced with increased workloads because of the advent of electronic documents.
The voluntary roster has a Justice of the Peace available between 9.30am and 1pm on weekdays at Geelong Police Station and on Mondays and Fridays at Corio’s station.
“There’s a backlog at the Department, so there are no new JPs to add to the roster,” Ms Scott said.
“They’ve been inundated with applicants but they have to be processed. It takes time to go through the interview process and ensure applicants have good credentials.
“We’re suffering from a barrage of electronic documents at the moment. It’s an ever-growing thing.”
Ms Scott said a special training day at Geelong police station on Saturday woulud update local JPs on the procedures around electronic documents.
Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices coordinator Cathy Owens said more organisations required certified copies of important documents.
“Many organisations, for reasons of convenience, send documents online rather than in hard copy but they’re not considered original documents,” Ms Owens said.
“Therefore, a JP has no original document to sight and cannot certify a copy of a copy.
“It is one of the newer challenges facing JPs these days and it places members of public between a rock and hard place.
“JPs perform their duties by virtue of Victorian state rules without putting unreasonable barriers in the way of those dealing with other states or countries.
“Sometimes they have to make judgement calls because they are the person on the spot.”
The Department of Justice had not returned the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press.
