Tom Castles awarded life membership by Central Region JP Association

Tom receives his life membership plaque from president Mary Chapman.

Tom Castles received life membership at the recent AGM of the Central Region JP Association. It reflects over 30 years of service as a JP and was as much a shock as a thrill for the recipient.

He nearly did not attend, having another commitment on that night, but Tom's wife Gay knew the honour was forthcoming and she ensured he would be there.

Tom with president Mary Chapman and wife Gay.

The event came at the end of the Central Regions JP Association's AGM and Tom had no idea it was coming, although there had been an agenda posted. Tom recognises his was a rare honour to be made a life member and he is possibly the first "this side of the hill".

Tom said there have been enormous changes in the role of a Justice of the Peace. When he started, the judicial role involved hearing depositions brought by the police for the JP to consider and decide whether to recommend a court hearing.

These included everything from attempted murder to rape and were pretty horrific, his worst case being one of child molestation. He said often he was very upset and could not sleep at night. He says he has sympathy for judges who "listen day after day to graphic evidence and then take it all home".

He thinks the role of hearing depositions, which was abolished a decade ago, helped free up a clogged judicial system that is "still under pressure".

These days, the work of a judicial JP involves lesser crimes like firearms charges and driving offences, but they are still important and Tom has done his fair share in the local Dannevirke court as well as helping with the overload in the Palmerston North court, particularly on a Saturday after police arrests on Friday night.

He said living out at Whetekura until three years ago involved a fair amount of travel to fulfil his judicial role, but he was able to combine some with his council work and his job selling real estate. He no longer does JP judicial work, having reached the age of retirement from the court.

JPs, however, are appointed for life, and his other role of helping the community by signing documents and imparting advice is still a vital part of Tom's life.

Initially, it involved helping people out in the Whetekura district but he increasingly has had work in town. He said JPs were appointed to represent their local area and still are resident in most neighbourhoods to make them more accessible.

He said while the law is becoming more and more complicated, most of the help he has given "is basically common sense". Tom says being approachable is a key element of the job because a JP "acts on people's behalf so must be easy to communicate with as well as having a basic understanding of the law".

He says if you do not know it, do not be afraid to ask other JPs and share their wisdom.

He is keen to see more JPs appointed who are younger and of different ethnic backgrounds in order to be approachable. He is excited that there are four to five new JPs in the pipeline.

Tom's honour is shared with delight by the other serving JPs. Suresh Patel, QSM, says Tom has been a huge mentor to the JPs who have joined in the past decade. "He has been a shoulder to lean on with a wealth of knowledge and great understanding of a JP's role who has promoted the idea of collaboration amongst us," he said.