Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt has acknowledged 25 years of dedicated community service by three local Justices of the Peace (JPs) in a presentation today at the JP desk at Mt Sheridan Plaza.
In making the presentations to Ray Sciban, David Kalman and Peter Rigney, Mr Pitt said it was impossible to put a value on the contribution the trio has made to community development and the well- being of fellow citizens over the past 25 years.
[singlepic id=582 w=320 h=240 float=left] “Ray Sciban was raised and schooled on the Atherton Tablelands and after leaving school commenced an electrical apprenticeship, Mr Pitt said.
“He joined the Queensland Police Force in 1974 with Gordonvale being one of the stations where he served the local community. The private sector beckoned in 1979 and subsequently he started electrical contracting in 1990. Since 2011, Ray has been in semi-retirement.
“Ray was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1982, was converted to a Commissioner for Declarations during JP restructuring in 1991 and is currently upgrading to Justice of the Peace (Qualified) status.
“David Kalman was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1989 and upgraded to a Justice of the Peace (Qualified) in 1995.
“He joined the JPs in the Community Program in 2005 and attended JP Service Desks at Stockland and a short period at Smithfield Shopping Centre.
“Peter Rigney was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1979 and upgraded to a Justice of the Peace (Qualified) in 2013.
“As the proprietor of the Mt Sheridan Newsagent, Peter provided JP services to the local community prior to the introduction of the JPs in the Community program.
“Since retirement Peter has been an active JP volunteer in addition to being a director of Skill 360.”
Mr Pitt said JPs and Commissioners of Declaration (Cdecs) provided a vital role in the community.
“There are currently 796 volunteer JPs in the Mulgrave electorate who are dedicated to assisting their local community, and I thank them for their ongoing service,” Mr Pitt said.
“Many of these volunteers are part of the Queensland Government’s ‘JPs in the Community’ program which was established in early 2003 and has grown throughout Queensland.
“The program now boasts 156 sites with 2,626 volunteers who contribute more than 74,400 volunteer hours.
“JPs provide a great service to the community, and the important work they do enables lawyers and the courts to concentrate on cases which require professional legal training.
“This is a significant contribution which assists in the delivery of a fair, efficient and accessible justice system for Queensland.”
JPs handle up to 2,000 matters throughout Queensland each day.
Anyone interested in becoming a JP can find information at www.justice.qld.gov.au or call the JP Branch on 1300 301 147.
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