Don’t email documents for clients

Justices of the Peace have 5 main tasks.

• Certifying copies
• Verifying Identity
• Statutory Declarations
• Affidavits
• Witnessing Signatures

JPs are NOT required to email documents directly to receiving organisations (eg banks, lawyers) on behalf of clients. This is usually not possible from a service desk, and using ones personal email in this way risks replies concerning client’s business returning to the JP rather than the client.

It has been brought to our attention that ASB (and potentially other organisations) require trustees to verify their identity and then request that the person doing the verification email the completed documents directly to the bank. We recommend that in this and other similar situations presented to a Justice, that the client be advised that bank staff or lawyers are the appropriate persons to perform this task.