PCCNSW Director Karl De Guzman is a Justice of Peace (JP). If you need the services of a Justice of the Peace, please come to:
Max Webber Library – Blacktown City Council | Sundays 12:00 – 3:30 PM | Contact: 02 9839 6677
Max Webber Library is located in the heart of Blacktown next to Westpoint shopping centre.
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.