Page 5 - Keeping the Peace

Magna Carta 1215.
Peace-keepers: from landed gentry to today’s citizens
Volunteers play a powerful role in shaping the society we live in. They leave a legacy that endures well beyond each individual’s contribution. In the justice system, Victoria has benefitted from a long tradition of Justices of the Peace (JPs) and later Bail Justices (BJs), collectively known as Honorary Justices (HJs). These volunteers have become part of Victoria’s social fabric. Since colonisation, HJs have played a part in public debates about community safety, as well as making decisions that impact on the private lives of Victoria’s citizens. The HJ roles have their roots in English history but these functions have evolved over many years to suit geographic and historical imperatives.
This book describes the evolution of the role in Victoria and celebrates the way it has adapted to social and cultural changes. While many citizens have taken up the role of JP and BJ, the backgrounds of the people who take on these roles have reflected changing ideas about what makes a good community leader. In the early days of England’s justice system, landed gentry exercised local power on behalf of the monarch. Today, HJs come from a range of backgrounds and are firmly embedded in our democratic system of government.
There have also been debates as the honorary justice system has been embroiled in changing ideas about the administration of justice. HJs relationship with government was always negotiated with reference to the particular concerns of the government of the day. The criteria for the selection of JPs and BJs has reflected the ways local reputations are created and recognised. Nevertheless, there is also a timelessness about the desire to give back to the local community.
The evolving role of the HJ has reflected changing ideas about how society should be governed, the role of the citizenry in managing community life and the aspirations of government to devolve power to community leaders to participate in the governing process. Initially the functions of JPs were vast, involving a multitude of court duties as well as the hearing of
child protection and bail applications. As the justice system evolved, the roles have become more specialised and the positions of JPs and BJs more carefully crafted to ensure quality and transparency. Nevertheless, HJs have always been individuals who adhere to the highest standards of community conduct. Because ideas about community conduct and appropriate ways of responding to crime, social disorder and civil disputes are evolving, the HJ story is one of challenges and re-definitions of the powers and functions of the roles.
Keeping the Peace – A History of Honorary Justices in Victoria
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