Victoria has a chronic shortage of Justices of the Peace (JPs)
There are less than 4,000 registered JPs in Victoria compared to the 80,000 in Queensland and over 70,000 in NSW. According to the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices (RVAHJ) fewer than 2000 Victorian JPs are actively performing witnessing and certification services. The shortfall has meant the JPs who volunteer their time and provide their services free of charge are overburdened and increasingly hard to access.
While JPs can often be found at police stations and in law courts, many members of the LGBTQIA+ community do not feel comfortable in these environments
Additionally, some police stations are unable to witness and certify documents due to workload pressures, leaving individuals to seek out alternative ‘Authorised Witnesses’ such as general practitioners, school principals, accountants, or pharmacists. A lot of these professionals are time-poor and may be unwilling or unable to provide witnessing services. As a result, some refuse outright, while others charge a fee. With no regulated cap on fees, pharmacists commonly charge between $5 and $12 per page, making the certification of large documents unaffordable for many.
The LGBTQIA+ community has a particular need for document certification and witnessing – including name and gender change papers and, parental acknowledgement for same sex couples. These issues are highly sensitive and the paperwork – while essential – can be onerous. Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne is a proud member of the rainbow community and a staunch advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. She has sponsored a petition calling for more JPs to be recruited, and for Victoria’s Honorary Justice System to be overhauled.
Ms Payne would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to the Document Signing Centre (DSC) at Victoria’s Pride Centre
“JPs from as far away as Ballarat and Shepparton travel to St Kilda to volunteer their time on Saturdays 12 to 4pm,” she said. “There are people in the Rainbow community who want to change their sex on their birth certificate, their name, do self-insemination with sperm gifted from a friend, or be recognised as a parent of the children of their same sex partner. This all requires paperwork specific to LGBTQIA+ communities that needs to be verified by a Justice of the Peace who is affordable, available and who understands our community’s needs.”
Since opening last October, the DSC at the Pride Centre has helped over 700 clients with approximately 4,300 documents. The demand for affordable, safe and timely document and witnessing services for the rainbow community is clear.
LGBTIQA+ Community Leader and Co-founder of the DSC at the Pride Centre Dean Beck JP, is a Director at RVAHJ.
“For more than 115 years, JPs have dedicated themselves to serving the people of Victoria with genuine compassion and commitment. However, if we don’t take immediate action, we risk becoming extinct. Many who turn to us do so in moments of deep need. While I am proud to have established the DSC at Victoria’s Pride Centre for my communities, every Victorian must have safe access to the free services offered by qualified JPs. Unfortunately, we face a critical shortage,” said Dean Beck JP.
A RVAHJ petition signed by 5739 Victorian citizens calls upon the Attorney-General, the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP, to recruit 5000 new JPs by 2027. As the petition’s sponsor, Ms. Payne will lead the debate in Victoria’s Legislative Council on Wednesday, August 13th, 2025.
Tuesday the 12th of August, 2025.
Related:
> Justice of the Peace shortage in South-Eastern suburbs – Rachel Payne
