June Council Meeting

The Council of the Auckland Justices of the Peace Association held its monthly meeting on June 10, 2020.

• Following the move to Level 1 Covid-19 restrictions, the meeting was face-to-face, after two months of electronic meetings.
• Congratulations were passed on to Garry Nicholls, recently appointed as President of Royal Federation (and still our immediate Past President).
• Council members applauded the fast response to reopening of Service Desks, including being appreciative of the screens and sanitizers provided.
• Many Justices have now made themselves available again, and most Service Desks are opening with restricted hours at this stage – a good step forward. Several have relocated following Covid closures of some host sites.
• Office phone issues remain – we are dependent of MoJ action to deal with this.
• Courts have resumed sitting, so Judicial Justices are back to face-to-face activity.
• Facebook was a useful communication tool during lockdown, with almost 220 members.
• The success of the Accreditation Study Group project was welcomed, bringing the number of accredited Justices to over 40% in Auckland – close to the national average. Plans are being developed to run a similar week-long programme on a regular basis.
• 98% of members have now paid their 2019-2020 membership fees, making financial management of the Association easier.
• Plans are in place to apply for NZ Lottery Grant funding to supplement services for members (such as name badges, stamps, etc as supplied recently)
• The 2020-2021 Budget is being finalised, taking into account reduced funding from Royal Federation and altered expectations due to Covid-19.
• The timetable for Hub Professional Development sessions has been redrafted. 9 sessions are planned for July and August – dates in the President’s Newsletter, Facebook, and AJPA website.
• Delays in induction training and swearing in ceremonies are being worked on to ensure new Justices are prepared and sworn in as soon as practicable.
• Considerable work has been put in to update our IT contracts and equipment, and to plan for future work. The Membership ‘data base’ (actually a spreadsheet) has been improved and is proving a more useful tool.
• The five year Strategic Plan is in its fourth draft and will be finalized at the next meeting.
• Planning for the 20 September 2020 AGM is underway.
• Regular tracking of Association assets is being tightened up, so Support Group Coordinators are likely to be asked for updates at intervals.
• Three members who received Queen’s Birthday Honours have been acknowledged.