10793NAT – Course in Community Justice Services (Commissioner for Declarations)

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be competent to apply for appointment as a Commissioner for Declarations.

As a Cdec you will be able to:

• Witness oaths or affidavits
• Take statutory declarations and affirmations
• Witness signatures
• Attest the execution of a document
• Certify a true copy of an original document.

As a Cdec you WILL NOT be able to:

• Issue search warrants
• Issue arrest warrants
• Grant bail.

If you are interested in carrying out these duties you will need to study the Justice of the Peace (Qualified) course.

Please note that completing this training does not automatically allow you to begin duties as a Commissioner for Declarations in QLD. You must complete your course and then apply for your appointment. Only after you have been sworn in can you undertake these duties.

As a Commissioner for Declarations you are not able to charge for your services.

To become a JP or Cdec you must:

• be an Australian citizen
• be at least 18 years old
• be of good character
• be registered on the Queensland electoral roll
• have completed the relevant training–Course in Providing Community Justice Services (Commissioner for Declarations) (Justice of the Peace [Qualified]).

You cannot apply or hold office as a JP or Cdec if you:

• have been convicted of a serious offence at any time (i.e. an indictable offence, irrespective of whether it was dealt with in the magistrates, district or supreme court)
• have been convicted of more than 2 offences of any kind at any time
• have been convicted of an offence of any kind in the last 5 years
• have been convicted of an alcohol or drug driving offence in the last 5 years
• have been convicted of more than 2 traffic offences in the last 4 years (i.e. convictions under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995)
• are an undischarged bankrupt (i.e. not yet free from bankruptcy).

Also, if you have been convicted of more than 6 offences under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 in a 4 year period, you are not qualified to be appointed as a JP or Cdec for 5 years after the date of your last conviction.

Examples of offences include all types of criminal offences, drug related offences, financial (tax or business related), social security offences, shoplifting, or failure to pay a TOLL fee within the stated period of time.

Note that for traffic offences, a person who pays an amount by the way of a penalty for an offence, is taken to have been convicted of the offence on the day the amount is paid.

These conditions are from the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for Declarations Act 1991.

Individuals convicted of more than 6 offences under the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 in a 4 year period, are not qualified to be appointed as a Justice of the Peace (Qualified) or Commissioner of Declarations for 5 years after the date of the last conviction.

To complete this course you must demonstrate competency in 1 unit.

• QCJWIT001 Witness or certify documents

OPTION 1 – Study in Class

Complete this course by attending a 1 day face-to-face workshop, followed by an external exam. We strongly recommend you attend the 1 day face-to-face workshop to get the most out of this course. It will also be highly beneficial to you when completing the external exam.

OPTION 2 – External Exam Only

This option requires you to study the material within the CDec Handbook available online and apply this knowledge to the external exam. There is no training assistance involved with this option. You will be sent the materials via email once your booking is finalised.

Note: It is recommended for this course that you complete all assessment tasks in full within 28 days. Should you not complete within 3 months of enrolment, you will be required to pay a $100 re-enrolment fee.

Fee-for-service
$295

Payment Options

• EFTPOS
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• Direct Deposit
• PayPal (selected locations only)
• Debit Success Direct Deposit

Through Debit Success Direct Deposit, it can take up to 4 days for the first installment to come through to our team – depending on when you set your installment repayments to start. So, after signing up for your course it is likely you will need to wait a couple of days before you can begin training.

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1. You will receive your certificate from Asset College by email within 2 weeks of completing your course.

2. You will then be required to submit an online application for appointment.

You will need to provide:

• Your statement of attainment from the CDec course
• Written character references (PDF, 102KB) from 2 suitable referees
• Proof of Australian citizenship (if you were born overseas).

3. Your application will also be automatically sent to your State Member of Parliament (MP) for nomination of your appointment. Your MP may contact you to arrange an interview before your nomination.

4. When your MP tells the Department of Justice and Attorney-General that they nominate you for appointment, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General will assess your application against the relevant sections of the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for Declarations Act 1991and the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for Declarations Regulation 2017.

The assessment process can take approximately 3 months.

5. If there are any issues with your application, the Department of Justice and Attorney-General will let you know. Otherwise, they will write to you to let you know your application is approved.

6. You will then need to take an Oath or Affirmation of Office and pay a registration fee before you can begin your duties as a JP or CDec at your local Magistrates Court.

You must apply to become a JP or Cdec within 2 years of successfully completing your training.