*****IMPORTANT ADVICE FOR ALL HONORARY JUSTICES FROM RVAHJ******
Revised HJ Services – During Stage 4 Shut Down
In response to the announcement of Stage 4 Coronavirus shutdown from the Vic. Government on Friday 12th February 2021, the RVAHJ recommends that all HJ’s withdraw services at DSS, community centres and at home as previously implemented last year. This should remain in place for the 5 day shut down period as per the communication by the Department of Health. Further recommendations will be provided after the mandatory 5 day period based on DHHS guidelines next week.
As per the Vic. Gov announcement all public venues will be closed and it is expected that all Police Stations will restrict access by the general public which will include DSS activities.
Elwood Office
The Association Office in Elwood is closed until the Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne are removed or relaxed:
- Cathy will set up to work from the safety of her home
- We will not be providing witnessing and certification services from Elwood during this time
- Phone calls are diverted to the answering machine and checked regularly
- Email to [email protected] is the best way to communicate with the office
- Association operations for members are still functional and we are operating “business as usual” in most instances
- For urgent issues or concerns, members should call the President on 0418 885 122, Secretary on 0458 222 673 or reach out to any of the other Board Members
Honorary Justices – Stage 4 Activities
It is not yet clear as to whether both Bail Justices and Justices of the Peace are included as permitted workers under Stage 4 restrictions as identified on the Department of Health and Human Services website. We will monitor this over the weekend and let you know of any changes, the documentation is being updated over the next 24 hours.
Wherever possible, JPs can provide their services remotely. Stat Decs, Affidavits and Powers of Attorney can be done remotely online following the remote witnessing processes, as developed by the RVAHJ in line with the Omnibus Legislation 2020.
Note that Certified True Copies, Medical Treatment Decision Makers and Advanced Care Directives cannot be remotely witnessed.
Remote (Online) Witnessing
In order to be able to continue supporting the community with some level of witnessing and attestation services, the RVAHJ online witnessing system is still operating on Monday (morning 10am to 12pm), Wednesday (afternoon 2pm to 4pm) and Friday (evening 6pm to 8pm). This will be reviewed and additional time slots will be added as needed by public demand. If you would like to be part of this online witnessing service, please reach out to President Paul by phone or email to register your interest or for more information.
We thank all JPs and BJs for your incredible commitment to the local community during this difficult time. Above all things, stay safe and look after yourself and your family.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Mracek JP FRVAHJ
President, RVAHJ