Queensland Consolidated Acts

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND COMMISSIONERS FOR DECLARATIONS ACT 1991 - SECT 31

31 Proof of acts done in the performance of office

(1) A person placing his or her signature on an instrument or document as the holder of the office of justice of the peace or commissioner for declarations is to insert immediately beneath, beside or close to the signature—

(a) the imprint of a seal of office issued to the person under this Act with the person’s registered number of office inserted in the space provided; or

(b) subject to subsection (2) , the prescribed mark of office.

(2) If a seal of office has been issued under this Act to a justice of the peace, the justice of the peace when placing his or her signature upon an instrument or document in the exercise of a power—

(a) to constitute a court for the purpose of any proceedings; or

(b) to issue a summons or warrant of any description;

is to insert, as prescribed by subsection (1) , the imprint of the seal complete with registered number of office.

(3) In any proceedings evidence that—

(a) an imprint in the form of an imprint of a seal of office of a kind issued under this Act with a number inserted in the space provided; or

(b) a mark in the form of a prescribed mark of office;

has been inserted beneath, beside or close to a signature placed on an instrument or document is evidence that the person whose signature it purports to be duly signed the instrument or document in the performance of the functions of the office indicated by the mark or imprint.

(4) The prescribed mark of office of each office specified in the first column of the following table is the mark specified in the second column opposite the office.

	Table
	the office of justice of the peace preserved by section 41 or held under section 19 (1)	“Justice of the Peace” or “J.P.”
	justice of the peace (magistrates court)	“Justice of the Peace (Magistrates Court)” or “J.P. (Magistrates Court)” or “J.P. (MAG. CT.)”
	justice of the peace (qualified)	“Justice of the Peace (Qualified)” or “J.P. (Qualified)” or “J.P. (Qual.)”
	justice of the peace (commissioner for declarations)	“Justice of the Peace (Commissioner for Declarations)” or “J.P. (C.dec)”
	commissioner for declarations	“Commissioner for Declarations” or “C.dec”

(5) Variations of no significance between an imprint or mark appearing on a document or instrument and an imprint or mark prescribed by this section are to be disregarded for the purposes of this section.