Well-known community leader Dhansukh Lal, President of the Auckland Indian Association Inc (AIAI), has been appointed as a Justice of the Peace (JP). The appointment was made by Her Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand, as notified under section 3(1) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1957 and published in the Gazette.
Lal will be primarily based at the New Lynn CAB, providing his services to the community. In addition, he will be available for appointments at his residence.
In New Zealand, the role of a JP is to exercise powers granted by legislation, and they do not possess inherent jurisdiction. The functions of a JP involve tasks such as witnessing documents, taking declarations, and administering oaths or affirmations.
Justice of the Peace services are free.
The nomination of individuals for appointment as JPs is done by Members of Parliament. Each electorate Member of Parliament ensures that their area is adequately served by JPs. Although List Members can submit nominations, they require prior endorsement from the appropriate electorate Member.
Expressing his pride in the appointment, Lal said, "I am honoured to have been sworn in as a Justice of the Peace alongside 10 others. I decided to pursue the training for Justice of the Peace so that I can serve not only our Indian community but serve the wider community. There is a shortage of JPs in the community and this gives me an opportunity to serve.”
“We now have 7 JPs at Auckland Indian Association and we are thinking of providing the JP service from Mahatma Gandhi Centre at least once a week.”
“As I fluently speak Gujarati, Hindi and English, this gives me an advantage to serve our community as well,” Lal said.
