PRESIDENT’S PAGE

John Carpendale, President JP(Qual)

WELCOME TO 2021

I do enjoy visiting different communities and interacting with QJA members in locations at regions away from where I reside. As I move around and speak with different groups, it’s incredible how many times I get asked the following questions:

Can you please explain the difference between the Queensland Justices Association and the JP Branch of the Justice Department?

Are both organisations doing the same thing? It is apparent there is, in some quarters at least, uncertainty or perhaps confusion about the respective roles of these two major organisations in the Queensland JP system, so let’s try to clear it up.

DJAG

Within this system, the JP Branch of DJAG performs three main roles:

1. Regulator of the JP system

• responsible for processing the appointment of JPs; • maintaining the register of appointed JPs; • investigating complaints against JPs; and, where necessary • disciplining JPs or terminating of their commission; • proposing system changes (like term appointments). 2. Compliance educator – via programs and communications to ensure all 85,000 Queensland JPs know what they need to know to function in a compliant manner.

3. Facilitator of the general public’s interaction with JPs – in particular, the overall management of the JPs in the Community program.

QJA

In comparison, QJA is a professional membership association for those JPs and CDecs who are not satisfied with just being compliant but who aspire to be as proficient a practitioner as they possibly can be.

QJA’s mission is to provide high quality education, information and connection programs that enable our 6,000 members to achieve their proficiency and professionalism aspirations.

WORKING TOGETHER

Both organisations understand and respect the role of the other and the lines of separation. There is a mutually-supportive and positive relationship between the two bodies with management representatives meeting quarterly (or more regularly as required).

This relationship gives QJA the chance to make representations on behalf of our members and it gives the JP Branch the opportunity to seek feedback from the association representing a large cohort of JP practitioners on any change initiatives they may be considering.

While some QJA branches are involved in the local coordination of rosters for community signing sites (and QJA strongly endorses this involvement by its branches), it is clearly the responsibility of the government’s JP Branch to manage that particular program. If a QJA member or a branch committee is having trouble connecting with the QJA resources they need to support their quest for continuous improvement, it is clearly QJA’s responsibility to address that matter.