Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea today praised local JPs who were honoured at a ceremony at Parliament House for 50 years’ service to the NSW community.
Mr O’Dea was present with Attorney General Mark Speakman as he presented Peter Hutchison and Eric Galloway with a certificate to convey the state’s appreciation for such long and dedicated service. Trevor Bambrick, Ashton Brailey and Stanley Brogan were not able to attend, but will receive their 50 year service certificates separately.
“It is a remarkable achievement to provide half a century of service as a JP, and one that deserves to be honoured,” said Mr O’Dea.
“As JPs of 50 years, Peter Hutchison, Eric Galloway, Trevor Bambrick, Ashton Brailey and Stanley Brogan have played an important part in our community by helping hundreds of people at key moments in their lives, such as when they buy a house, access superannuation or go to court.”
A JP serves as an independent witness to documents people use for official or legal purposes. The primary functions of a JP are to witness a person making a statutory declaration or affidavit, and to certify that a copy of an original document is a true and accurate copy.
“There are nearly 95,000 JPs in NSW, together volunteering hundreds of thousands of hours to their communities and assisting the efficient functioning of our legal system,” Mr O’Dea said.
The NSW Government introduced commemorative certificates for 50 years of service as a JP in 2012. Since then, more than 2000 certificates have been awarded.
NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said, “The commemorative certificate is a small way of saying thank you to Peter Hutchison, Eric Galloway, Trevor Bambrick, Ashton Brailey and Stanley Brogan for their outstanding contribution to the community.”
People can search for a JP in their area by visiting the online public register of JPs at: www.jp.nsw.gov.au. A JP fact sheet is available in 12 languages on the website.
