COVID-19 and your witnessing role
The wellbeing of Justices of the Peace (JPs), Commissioners for Declarations (Cdecs) and the broader community is our priority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We recommend following these steps to help ensure you uphold everyone’s safety while witnessing documents.
You can also stay up to date with the current health and safety information.
Before you witness
Do not provide witnessing services if you:
- are classified as high risk
- have COVID-19
- feel unwell
- are in self-quarantine or isolation.
If you feel you can safely witness documents, make sure your details are up to date and published on our search for your nearest JP or Cdec online register. You can list and update your contact details online.
If you can't witness documents and your contact details do appear on our online register, please contact us to have your details removed by either:
- updating your JP or Cdec details and select 'No' for 'Publish details on Internet'
- emailing jp@justice.qld.gov.au
- calling 1300 301 147 during business hours.
Unless you are an approved JP or Cdec through the Justices of the Peace Branch by the Chief Executive of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, you cannot use video conferencing, email or telephone to witness documents.
Steps for safer witnessing
Your health and safety is paramount, so when you are contacted by a person seeking your witnessing services, ask them if they have COVID-19 or if they are unwell and experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
If the client has COVID-19, you should decline to witness the document and ask them to contact the agency that has sent the client the form to discuss their options. The Justices of the Peace Branch offers an online witnessing service for eligible documents which can assist clients who are unable to visit a JP or Cdec in person.
If the client is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, you should either:
- decline to witness the document and ask them to contact you again once they are well.
- assess their situation and take suitable precautions for the associated risks if you decide to witness their documents.
If you agree to meet the person and witness their document you should:
- Follow the advice from Qld Health regarding face masks.
- Ask the person to bring their own pen.
- Consider meeting outside in the open air.
- Clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand rub or sanitiser before and after witnessing.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing and sneezing, or use your elbow, not your hands.
- Do not shake hands or use other physical greetings.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Try to maintain 1.5m from the person as much as possible while reviewing their document(s).
- Try to limit contamination of documents by using hand sanitiser before and after handling documents as much as possible.
- Follow the relevant witnessing steps as outlined in your handbook.
If meeting inside is unavoidable, clean and disinfect the surface and equipment (pen, seal of office, stamps, etc.) before and after witnessing.