Attorney General Mark Speakman and Member for Penrith Stuart Ayres today acknowledged and thanked Justices of the Peace and legal stakeholders who perform a number of critical legal services in Western Sydney and Penrith.
During a visit to Penrith Courthouse, Mr Speakman and Mr Ayres met with two local Justices of the Peace who have been serving the Penrith community for 50 years and presented them with an award.
“Justices of the Peace are the unsung heroes of the legal world. They provide a volunteer service for people at key moments, such as when they apply for a passport, buy a house or access superannuation,” said Mr Speakman.
Mr Ayres congratulated Mr Warren Miller and Mr Raymond Tregenza on reaching this fantastic milestone and thanked them for their service.
“It is a remarkable achievement to provide half a century of service as a Justice of the Peace, and one that deserves to be honoured,” Mr Ayres said.
JPs serve as an independent witness to documents people use for official or legal purposes. The primary functions of a JP are to witness a person making a statutory declaration or affidavit, and to certify that a copy of an original document is a true and accurate copy.
Mr Speakman and Mr Ayres also took the opportunity to thank those practitioners who work at Legal Aid Penrith for the work they do day-to-day in providing specialist legal advice to Western Sydney’s most vulnerable people.
“Legal Aid NSW lawyers have tremendous experience helping some of the most disadvantaged members of our community resolve complex legal issues,” Mr Speakman said.
Mr Ayres said: “The staff at Legal Aid Penrith make a life-changing difference for some of my community’s most vulnerable, and I thank them for all they do.”
Legal Aid NSW is the largest legal aid agency in Australia and provides free legal advice and information, as well as duty services and representation in civil, criminal and family law to eligible clients.
For more information about Legal Aid NSW services and locations, go to www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au
