Justices of the Peace (JPs) perform a valuable and free service to numerous New Zealanders every year and thanks to the launch of a new "service desk" at Stratford library, people can now access this service with ease.
At the launch of the weekly service desk last Wednesday, David Anderson, secretary of the Stratford Branch of the Taranaki JP Association, said that with similiar desks being well received around the country, "it was an obvious choice for us to establish one in Stratford".
Chairman of the Stratford branch, Mayor Neil Volzke, believes the service will be well received by the Stratford community, as it makes JPs more accessible without people having to phone around and find a time that suits both themselves and the JP.
Instead, people needing the services of a JP can come to the library, without an appointment, any Thursday morning and there will be at least one JP on duty to perform a wide range of tasks, from witnessing signatures and certifying documents through to completeing declarations and affidavits.
David says that while the service desk will be in the public area of the library, they also have access to a private area should it be needed. He is grateful to Kate Whareaitu, director of community services at Stratford District Council for "being so helpful right from the start of this idea" and the library staff themselves, "who are making us feel welcome and at home".
