A new Māori name has been unveiled for the Justices of Peace association in Rotorua. Te Arawa are hosting this year's 89th annual conference. One of the key focuses for the association is to make sure JP's are better skilled in their position.
There are 6500 Justices of the peace in NZ. Current president Denise Hutchins says they need to ensure JP's are upskilled and competent.
Denise Hutchins (Perehitini, Royal Federation NZ) says, “Our world of justices is changing all the time as legislation changes we are required for the work that we do to do things differently.”
JPs must be nominated by a local member of parliament followed by a rigorous interview process which includes police checks. The Justice Minister then refers names to the NZ Governor General.
Hutchins says, “A lot of New Zealanders require a Justice of the peace to administer their documents and keep the bureaucracy turning over most democracy need a bureaucracy so that's what the justices is doing they sign documents, they certify documents, they take affidavits, they take declarations.”
Te Arawa had the honour of unveiling a new Māori name for the association which will be known as Te Kāhui pou whakatau ture o Aotearoa.
Monty Morrison (Te Arawa) says, “Te Kāhui Pou whakatau ture o Aotearoa, that is the name given, yes, it's rather long but we had incorporated all the aspects of the association in it.”
The conference ends tomorrow.