2021 CONFERENCE

2021 QJA CONFERENCE: WORTH THE WAIT

World events may have delayed our State Conference; however, the extra time allowed the planning committee to secure an impressive line-up of guest speakers to enlighten us at the QJA flagship event held at the Mantra on View, Surfers Paradise. Some members boarded trains while others drove and camped along the way. We all came together to share in our common passion: volunteering as Justices of the Peace.

Tom Tait, Mayor of the City of Gold Coast opened our event, welcoming all members who travelled near and far to attend. The Honourable Catherine Holmes AC, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, and the Patron of the QJA enlightened us with the correlation between volunteering and a healthy life. It is true, the more you give, the more you receive! Attendees enjoyed a bit of healthy competition with the online quiz game, Kahootz!, which further brought us together as tables worked as teams to answer light-hearted questions, vying for some exciting prizes.

Samantha Shipman, Manager, Investigations Officer of the Public Guardian (OPG) reminded us that when witnessing enduring documents, the attorney is presumed to have capacity, not the reverse. Her presentation touched on topics such as elder abuse involving enduring powers of attorney and inappropriate decision-making arrangements related to adults with impaired capacity. The room bubbled with questions which she answered with ease and finesse. Leanne Clemesha followed, sharing her perspective from the Office of Advance Care Planning and the differences between Advance Health Directive documents and the Qld Government Statement of Choices.

Did you know that the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) is quite possibly the only section of the justice system that is wholly paper based (non-electronic)? The Honourable Justice Martin Daubney AM, President of QCAT shared the shortfalls encountered and his vision to enable electronic portals for not only submitting matters but also for registering judgements. QCAT hears much more than just neighbourhood disputes and the horizon is looking very bright for streamlining this branch of the justice system that already takes immense pressure off the judicial system.

Some of our members may have heard about the trial of the digital driver’s licence app that occurred recently on the Fraser Coast. Prior to the State Conference, the common response heard was that many do not want the Government to have access to their personal information. Christopher Goh, General Manger, Customer Orientated Registration and Licensing, Department of Transport and Main Roads changed the viewpoint of many with his presentation. He focused on the fact that DTMR has held all our relevant information for decades and the introduction of a highly secure app does not change anything regarding our privacy. The app not only empowers victims of domestic violence to start a new life by having access to ever-important identity documents electronically (it is currently exceedingly difficult to open a new bank account without hardcopy identification), but the digital licence also allows the public to provide identification to prove their age without disclosing all their personal information such as home address. This feature of the digital licence is particularly attractive in the nightclub precincts.

Mike Vitobello, Team Leader of the JP Branch, Department of Justice and Attorney General attended in the absence of Damien Mealey and took to the stage with director Joan Kennedy and QJA IT Consultant Keith Revell to field a barrage of questions revolving around continuing professional development (CPD), the needs of our members and how they have evolved over the years, as well as the differences and similarities between the QJA and JP Branch.

Director Graeme Moorhouse launched the much-awaited QJA Member Accreditation program. Please visit the website for more information on the program itself and how to nominate. During the breaks members generously purchased raffle tickets for a wide array of prizes including hotel stays, wine hampers and gift vouchers to favourite shopping locations. Lucky numbers were drawn as the room eagerly awaited the arrival of the final guest speaker, Queensland nomination for 2021 Australian of the Year Dr Dinesh Palipana, who grew up in Sri Lanka and conquered incredible adversity. His humble and welcoming words reminded us that we should be kind because we never know what the person across from us as been through. Like the Chief Justice’s message, Dr Dinesh suggested that internally, we are infinite, we can never do enough or be enough. However, if we turn outwards and give, we become whole and fulfilled.

In the evening we donned our finery and clinked glasses in preparation for the dinner and presentation of awards. Congratulations to Sara Gault Member of the Year and all others who were award recipients. Your achievements are fantastic and an inspiration to all members.

Finally, the location of the 2022 State Conference was revealed! North Queensland will host the event on the weekend of 14 May at Rydges Southbank, Townsville, more details to come! Being a JP is so much more than just witnessing documents. It is assisting someone during a potentially distressing time and giving back to the community. We are all Justices, together we are the QJA.

Contibutor: Andrea Reynolds, Director & Editor JP(Qual)