FIFTY years as a Justice of the Peace has gone in a flash according to Madeleine Wardman, one of three Coffs Harbour JPs being celebrated for each giving half a century to the volunteer role.

At a presentation of certificates on Wednesday 30 November in Coffs, Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said the three local JPs are among more than 300 JPs from across the state who have been recently recognised for their 50 years of service.

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“Local residents, Madeleine Wardman, Robert Mill and Ronald Perry have been witnessing and certifying documents for members of the community since 1971/2,” Mr Singh said.

“We are indebted to each of these outstanding citizens for their remarkable dedication to serving the community for more than five decades.”

The main role of a Justice of the Peace in the community is to witness a person making a statutory declaration or affidavit, and to certify copies of original documents for any number of legal purposes.

Madeleine Wardman told News Of The Area, “I have been called upon to witness and certify many documents particularly in assisting my husband in his legal practice.

“I also remember the friends, neighbours, family and others who sought my JP services.

“I was considering being a Marriage Celebrant when JPs were first able to become one, but my husband said, ‘we can’t have you doing the marrying and then I’m getting them a divorce’, so that was the end of that,” said Madeleine laughing.

Ron Perry became a JP in his first year of accountancy practice in 1972.

“I was recommended by my mentor, Percy Wyatt, when I took over his accounting practice.

“He said ‘it would be an idea if you became a JP’, as he was, to help in the practice.

“The work is all pretty serious, but one memorable incident was when a lady came in from overseas and she wanted to adopt some children locally.

“She said I’ve got a couple of documents I need to sign, and produced an inch-thick file.

“An hour and a half later…,” Ron said.

“It’s been useful in my work over the years, I’ve helped a lot of people, it’s been a long story, and I will carry on practicing and being a JP for a couple more years,” he said.

Rob Mills told NOTA, “50 years a JP.

“It seems like (well almost) yesterday while working in the heart of Sydney’s CBD that I could not find a JP.

“I had to take the day off work to see one and have two documents certified.”

Rob thought to himself ‘how many others are in this predicament’ and decided to apply to become one.

“I was sworn in at the tender age of 24 at the Supreme Court in Sydney, before the day’s cases were scheduled to begin.

“It was scary in there, all these beaks and uniforms and some very dubious looking characters.”

That was the beginning of his role signing many thousands of ‘stat decs’ over the next few years, either at work, at home or ‘on the way before or after work’.

“When our family upped and moved to Coffs in 1989, the need was greater and soon it became known I was a JP.

“Here for our great community, I have signed off thousands upon thousands of documents.

“The most I have signed in one session was 50-plus for a local near the school I taught at.”

A memorable occasion where the applicant dropped by the school in the hope of a JP being there as he had a pressing court matter the next day.

“The office staff knew I was a JP and sent another teacher to look after my class, so that I could help this needy person.”

Some 50-plus documents signed off later, Rob shook that person’s hand, said “good luck” and went back onto his next class for the day.

By Andrea FERRARI