Frequently Asked Questions

For the Classification Period of June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2012

The Committee Process

1. What is the role of the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee?

The Committee’s duties are to classify candidates and to report those classifications to the Attorney General, who will consider them for appointment as justices of the peace.  The Committee classifies the candidates as “Not Qualified”, “Qualified” or “Highly Qualified” and reports those classifications to the Attorney General on an annual basis.  (Justices of the peace are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Attorney General.)

2. Will I know what my classification is?

No.  As with similar committees of this kind, your classification is not disclosed to you.

3. What is a classification period?

The classification period refers to the length of time your classification (“Not Qualified”, “Qualified” or “Highly Qualified”) will be on file with the Attorney General.  The classification period begins on the 1st day of June following the submission of the application and continues for two years ending on the 31st day of May.

4. What happens after I submit my application?

A panel of Committee members will review and evaluate your application. The Committee may/may not choose to interview you as part of the evaluation process. The evaluation results in a classification, which will then be reported to the Attorney General. As is the policy with similar committees of this kind, your classification is not disclosed to you. The Attorney General may, at his/her discretion, recommend you for appointment as a justice of the peace to the Lieutenant Governor in Council sometime during the two-year period that your classification is valid.

The Justice of the Peace Position

5. Do I require legal experience?

No. The justice of the peace bench is a lay bench. There is no requirement that a candidate for the position have legal training or experience in the justice system.

6. What are the salary and benefits for a full-time presiding justice of the peace?

Full-time presiding justices of the peace are paid $114,070 per annum; in addition, they retain a comprehensive pension and insured benefits package, including annual vacation.

7. Are there part-time justice of the peace positions available?

No. The Committee has the mandate to classify candidates for full-time justice of the peace positions.

8. I understand that I will be assigned to a base court in my region. Is it true that the position may require me to travel and to work full days, including some nights and weekends?

Justices of the peace are expected to travel within the region to which they are assigned, and occasionally elsewhere in the province. While most duties fall within a regular business day, a justice of the peace may be required to work at any hour of the day and on weekends or holidays. For example, justices of the peace may be assigned to work 12-hour shifts at the provincial telewarrant centre or other location. Justices of the peace assignments are at the direction of the Regional Senior Judge or Regional Senior Justice of the Peace.

9. Which court locations in the province have current vacancies for justices of the peace ?

The Committee does not interview when there is a specific vacancy for a justice of the peace. The Committee advertises annually, reviews applications and interviews throughout the year. The classifications are submitted to the Attorney General for his consideration.

10. If I am appointed as a justice of the peace and I have to relocate, will I be paid for my relocation expenses?

No. If you are required to move to another location in the province, any relocation costs are borne by you.

Application Process

11. The Committee interviewed me prior to September 1, 2008. When may I re-apply?

Since your classification will have ended by May 31, 2010, you may re-apply by October 30, 2009. The next classification period begins on June 1, 2010.

12. The Committee interviewed me after August 31, 2008. When may I re-apply?

When interviewed, you were given a classification of “Not Qualified”, “Qualified” or “Highly Qualified”. Since your classification is effective for the two-year period from June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2011, you may re-apply by the deadline of the advertisement in September 2010. Re-applying in September 2010 will allow you to have a classification following June 1, 2011.

13. What happens when I re-apply in anticipation of my current classification expiring?

You may re-apply during the Committee’s advertising period the fall before your classification expires. When you re-apply, the review and evaluation process starts over again, resulting in a new classification. There is no relation between a candidate’s previous classification and their new application. It is a new application and reviewed and evaluated as such. The new classification will only take effect upon the expiry of your current classification.

14. Can I re-file the application I filed last year?

No. You must resubmit the required number of copies of the current application form which can be downloaded from the Committee’s website at www.ontariocourts.on.ca/jpaac/en.

15. Can I select more than one region on my application form?

You are encouraged to apply to the one region with which you are most familiar. If you wish to apply to more than one region, you should be aware that your degree of knowledge of those regions, their culture and issues will be considered.

If you have decided to apply for more than one region, you must indicate it at the time of your application as your selection will apply for the duration of the classification period (June 1, 2010 - May 31, 2012).

16. Should I attend court while preparing my application?

You should familiarize yourself with the role of a justice of the peace. In addition, the Committee strongly recommends that you attend various courts where a justice of the peace is presiding, such as a Provincial Offences court and Bail court.

17. How many copies of my application do I need to file?

You must submit the signed original plus 8 copies for each region to which you are applying. For example, if you are applying to two regions, you are required to send the signed original of your application and 16 copies.

18. Can I attach additional information to my application form?

No. The Committee wants to review only the documents requested in the prescribed application form.

19. Can I submit letters of reference to my application form?

No. The Committee wants to review only the documents requested in the prescribed application form. However, you can include these individuals as Referees on page 13 of the application form .

20. I do not have a copy of my diploma or degree. Do I need to obtain one?

Yes. Your application must contain a copy of all your diplomas or degrees for post-secondary education. If you do not have a copy, you will need to contact the institution to obtain one. You can forward it to the Committee once it is received.

It is not necessary to attach to your application form certificates of completion for any courses you have taken.

21. What will the Committee do with my application if I do not file the required copies or if my application is incomplete?

Your application may be returned to you for re-submission. If your application is cerlox bound, contains corners, etc., it may be returned to you for correction and re-submission.

22. What if I missed the October 30, 2009 deadline to file my application?

The Committee accepts applications on an on-going basis. However, applications received after October 30, 2009 will be reviewed and evaluated by the Committee during the next evaluation period.

23. After I submit my application, what should if I do if I want to update my personal information listed on page 1 of the application form?

You need to resubmit an updated paper copy of page 1 of the application form with a covering letter advising of the updated information

Interviews

24. Does everyone who applies receive an interview?

No. The Committee evaluates all applications received and selects some candidates to proceed to an interview.

25. When can I expect to be notified if I am selected for an interview?

The Committee receives a significant number of applications from the seven regions of the province, all of which are thoroughly evaluated. As a result, a considerable amount of time may elapse between the submission of an application and the request by the Committee for the candidate to attend an interview. Candidates are well advised to use this time to prepare in anticipation of an interview. There may be a very short period of time between an invitation to a candidate to attend an interview and the date of the interview.

Due to the volume of applications received, you can expect to receive an acknowledgement letter within 3 months of sending your application.

26. Who will be present at the interview?

If you have applied to one region, there will be at least four members of the Committee, one of which will be a representative of your region and the other will be a judicial member.

If you have applied to more than one region, there will be at least four members of the Committee. There will be a judicial member and a lay member representing each region to which you applied.

27. How should I prepare for the interview?

You should familiarize yourself with the role of a justice of the peace. In addition, the Committee strongly recommends that you attend various courts where a justice of the peace is presiding, such as a Provincial Offences court and Bail court.

28. What do I need to bring to the interview?

You do not need to bring anything to the interview.

29. Referee Information

When you are called for an interview, you should contact all of your referees and advise them of your interview and about the role of a justice of the peace. If their contact information has changed, you need to submit this information to the Committee prior to your interview.

30. Security Checks

Please note that all applicants selected for an interview will be required to provide permission for the Committee to conduct a security check. The security check consists of a name search through the Canadian Police Information Centre (C.P.I.C.) to obtain information on criminal convictions.

Applicants for appointment as a justice of the peace who are or have been members of a professional disciplinary organization are required to permit disclosure by the organization to the Committee or to the Attorney General of any complaints or charges, insurance or compensation claims to that organization.

Lawyers must authorize both the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LawPRO) to provide to the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee any documents, records or other information pertaining to their professional conduct and activities as well as with respect to their moral character and fitness to perform the responsibilities of a justice of the peace.

31. Are my travel expenses and any related costs to attend the interview paid by the Committee?

No. The applicant incurs all travel expenses and related costs to attend the interview.

32. What if I am not able to attend my interview?

The Committee will make every effort to reschedule your interview. If we are unable to reschedule the interview, you will have the opportunity to withdraw your application and reapply in the next classification period.

33. What happens after the interview?

The Committee will classify you as “Not Qualified”, “Qualified” or “Highly Qualified”. This classification is reported to the Attorney General. As with similar committees of this kind, your classification is not disclosed to you. If your appointment as a justice of the peace is approved by Cabinet, a member of the Attorney General’s staff will contact you directly.

February 22, 2010