COVID AND JP DUTIES

I think we can all appreciate that COVID has turned our world upside down from a personal perspective and as a Justice of the Peace in the role of assisting our communities by administering their documents. 

The Royal Federation and Auckland JP websites are the only places that will provide you certainty as a Justice on what you can and cannot do under a particular COVID Alert Level.  The AJPA website provides guidance which will be in the form of a ticker-tape running on the main page and Service Desk Pages.  If you have any questions please raise them with your Support Group Coordinator in the first instance.

The Auckland region is currently in COVID Alert Level 3 – Phase I.  A review has been conducted of what JP services we can move to when we shift to the new COVID Protection Framework in which there are three levels RED, YELLOW and GREEN.  The Government has indicated a possible move to Alert Level RED on the published date of 29 November 2021, or when our three Auckland DHBs reach a level of 90% double vaccination.  

I can advise that Service Desks in Auckland will remain closed at COVID Alert RED.  We are currently working towards procedures for Service Desks opening at YELLOW and GREEN and the criteria to safely do this are currently being developed.

As an interim step, the following has been approved with immediate effect:

LETTERBOX-SERVICES

Documents can now be processed via the implementation of contactless ‘Letter Box’ drops with strict adherence to the following rules:

Step 1 – Client seeks out a Justice of the Peace in their location via the ‘Find a JP’ application or ‘JP Locator’ from the Auckland JP Association website.

Step 2 – Client phones the JP and explains their requirements

Step 3 – JP accepts and advises the client of their residential address and approximate time to place the documents together with any originals into the JP letterbox.

Step 4 – Client phones the JP when they have done this in order that the JP can recover the documents

Step 5 – JP advises the Client to wait or to arrange another time for the uplift of the documents.

Step 6 – JP administers the clients documents in the normal manner and places clients documents and originals back in the letterbox for the client to uplift immediately or at the arranged time. 

Protection arrangements

No face to face contact 

Maintain 2m distance at all times

Wear a mask

Use gloves when administering the documents

Sanitize hands regularly.

COVID tracing QR Codes Poster should be available for clients to sign in with their mobile phones.  If no QR Code is available then the COVID Contact Tracing Register form is to be used.

As far as practicable, business is to be conducted remotely, with any identification contact to be in the open air.  Clients must not enter the confines of your homes.

Your association is promoting these measures to ensure you keep safe and remember, if you feel vulnerable (or a member of your household is vulnerable)  it is quite alright to withdraw your services at this time.