2021 QJA CONFERENCE: WORTH THE WAIT
World events may have delayed our State Conference; however, the extra time allowed the planning committee to secure an impressive line-up of guest speakers to enlighten us at the QJA flagship event held at the Mantra on View, Surfers Paradise. Some members boarded trains while others drove and camped along the way. We all came together to share in our common passion: volunteering as Justices of the Peace. Tom Tait, Mayor of the City of Gold Coast opened our event, welcoming all members who travelled near and far to attend. The Honourable Catherine Holmes AC, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, and the Patron of the QJA enlightened us with the correlation between volunteering and a healthy life. It is true, the more you give, the more you receive!
Attendees enjoyed a bit of healthy competition with the online quiz game, Kahootz!, which further brought us together as tables worked as teams to answer light-hearted questions, vying for some exciting prizes. Samantha Shipman, Manager, Investigations Officer of the Public Guardian (OPG) reminded us that when witnessing enduring documents, the attorney is presumed to have capacity, not the reverse. Her presentation touched on topics such as elder abuse involving enduring powers of attorney and inappropriate decision-making arrangements related to adults with impaired capacity. The room bubbled with questions which she answered with ease and finesse. Leanne Clemesha followed, sharing her perspective from the Office of Advance Care Planning and the differences between Advance Health Directive documents and the Qld Government Statement of Choices. Did you know that the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) is quite possibly the only section of the justice system that is wholly paper based (non-electronic)? The Honourable Justice Martin Daubney AM, President of QCAT shared the shortfalls encountered and his vision to enable electronic portals for not only submitting matters but also for registering judgements. QCAT hears much more than just neighbourhood disputes and the horizon is looking very bright for streamlining this branch of the justice system that already takes immense pressure off the judicial system.
QJA Quarterly
Winter 2021| 22
