Now-retired Justice of the Peace Selywn Baker with his retirement certificate. Photo / Talia Parker
Selywn Baker has lived in Waihi for all of his 86 years, and has always been focused on serving his community.
He spent the past 32 years as a Justice of the Peace, and has now decided to retire from the role.
The position involves witnessing of documents, taking of declarations, swearing of affidavits or affirming affirmations, and for some (including Baker), minor district court duties.
The decision to retire was made after a busy 2021, during which 106 people came to his house to utilise his services.
Despite the busy schedule, Selwyn always made himself available to those who needed him.
Although not everyone has offered him that same courtesy - he's had people come to his house for assistance and end up swearing at or berating him.
"You wouldn't think people in their common sense would do that, but you get ... people whose values are completely different to what yours are."
A clear lesson he'd taken from his work was "not to judge [a person] by their look".
"You meet all sorts of people in all sorts of situations, and some of them can be quite sort of bizarre," but Selwyn says it's not his job to judge.
Selwyn says it was sometimes difficult to deal with situations involving people he knew personally, but having to "discard that completely" in dealing with it.