24
The Sun
Wednesday May 4, 2011
JP leaving his mark By Damian George When Gavin Kerr steps down from the role of educating Justices of the Peace (or JPs) in New Zealand, he will do so having left a substantial mark on the standard of training they now receive. The former Horowhenua College principal, who moved to Blenheim in 1998, has no immediate plans to relinquish the role, but says he will make way as soon as someone else puts their hand up. “I’ve really enjoyed the training side but there comes a time when it’s best to move on,” he says. “When someone else steps up, I’ll go.” During his ten years in the role, Gavin was able to play a major part in changing the level of professionalism now associated with the state-appointed officers. After 25 years of endeavour, Gavin, in partnership with the then associate minister of justice Clayton Cosgrove, implemented the Justices of the Peace Amendment Act in 2007. Among other things, the bill, pushed through Parliament within 18 months of Gavin being elected Gavin Kerr has been training Justices of the Peace for the last ten years. president of the Royal Federation, “That was one of the things that was The ‘system of best practice’ - a demanded JPS be trained before very important to me. stringent appointment process - was being appointed. “You wouldn’t employ a plumber also introduced in the Act, as well as “When I joined in 1985, there was no legal requirement for a JP to be who hadn’t passed his certificate, so on-going training and the status of JP why should we have people out in the retired (JP retd). trained. “I was very lucky that I had a minister There was training available, but you community working as state-appointed weren’t legally obliged to undertake officers of the law whose training was with whom I hit it off and was prepared inadequate?” to go the whole distance with it.” it,” he says.
By Damian George Marlborough touch referees Brody O’Leary and Ben Smith have begun a concerted fundraising effort to send them to Scotland for the Touch World Cup in June. The pair, ranked seventh and ninth in the country respectively at under-15 and under-17 level, were selected in April among the 16 New Zealand referees to officiate at the global tournament. Brody, 20, and Ben, 18, have since been focusing their attention on obtaining the $6900 they each need to fund the trip to the UK. “We’re doing quite well. We’re looking on track but we’ve sill got another four grand to make up,” Brody says. A fundraising dinner was held at the Renwick Bowling Club last Wednesday, which was “a real hit”, and another one is planned for May 16 at Bamboo Garden. Brody says 100 people have already confirmed their attendance for the evening, which will auction off prizes including coffee tables made by Ben with the help of Max George Joiners and ITM, an Interislander Ferry package, and various other prizes donated by local businesses. The two have also been selling firewood since their selection was confirmed. Brody and Ben, who both took up refereeing at the age of 13, have four years experience officiating at national level, and have each controlled four national finals. Brody says the World Cup, featuring 550 games among 32 countries over five days, will present the pair with a stern test of their refereeing skills. “The biggest challenge will definitely be the language barrier,” he says. “In games such as Germany versus Spain, for example, neither of us speak German and neither of us speak Spanish. The tournament group matches commence on June 22, with the finals to be played on June 26.
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