Mayor Hamish McDouall hosted an afternoon tea for the centennial of the Whanganui Justices of the Peace Association. Photo / Bevan Conley
Mayor Hamish McDouall hosted an afternoon tea for the centennial of the Whanganui Justices of the Peace Association. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui's Justices of the Peace have been recognised as the "glue of society" in a special celebration.
Members of the Whanganui Justices of the Peace Association gathered in the Whanganui District Council chamber on Monday to celebrate the association's 100th anniversary.
The association was formed on September 19, 1922, as one of the five founding associations of the Federal Council of Honorary Justices' Associations in New Zealand, now known as the Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices Inc.
When the association was formed it had 57 members, whereas membership in 2021/2022 was 126.
Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said it was appropriate the celebration was held in the council chamber, as JPs originally had a large part in the role councils now play.
"JPs actually essentially ran municipalities up until the 14th century, so they're the ancestors of councils in some ways," he said.
Life members Anne Flutey and Keith Harrison cut the anniversary cake. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui MP Steph Lewis said the celebration highlighted how much the role of JPs had changed.
"I think it's pretty impressive to hear how the role of a JP has evolved over the last 100 years - I had no idea how much they were involved in right back at the inception of the role, so it was really interesting to see how much it's evolved and where they are now," she said.
Association president Judith Browne said today, JPs were upstanding members of the community who engaged in a range of legal work.
"Signing verified copies of documents, we have JPs who are trained to sit on the bench when there are no judges so we can do remand, custodies, that sort of stuff; we also have some who can issue search warrants," she said.
Browne, who is in her second term as president - having previously been elected in 2003 - said her goals were to change the perception of the association as an "old boys' network" and to promote better communications to members.
She said today, the association comprised a diverse range of JPs, both in terms of background and placement in the region.
"Our area covers from Taihape to Marton and Whanganui, so we've got reps from all those areas today."
She said being part of the 100-year celebration as president was significant, as the association had gone through significant changes in recent years, such as recognising the spelling of Whanganui and recognising iwi.
"I've been a JP for 26 years this month and this is the first time iwi have had a presence, so it is about those relationships that we have to build."
Lewis said it was special to be able to attend the celebration and recognise JPs' length of service and the crucial role they played in the community.
As Whanganui's MP, Lewis has a role in selecting JPs for the region, including interviewing applicants, and working with the association and Browne to assess where there are unmet needs in the community.
"Because that's one of my roles, to advise the minister whether or not there is an unmet need, and also to advise him that the applicants are a fit and proper person to be appointed as a JP," Lewis said.
McDouall, who is an honorary JP, said the celebration was important to recognise JPs' crucial role in the community.
"These are people who are available to operate as the glue in society in a lot of ways, and some of these people have put in incredible tenures, over three decades, so it's just awesome," he said.
