Court Services Justices of the Peace (CSJPs) work in the court registries throughout the province. In addition to the Justice of the Peace duties assigned by the Chief Judge, they hold various positions in the Court Services Branch of the BC Ministry of the Attorney General, such as court manager, administrator and court clerk. There are also CSJPs assigned to the Justice Centre in Burnaby.
Duties assigned to Court Services JPs by the Chief Judge include:
- Swearing informations, doing remands, issuing summonses and warrants of arrest
- Attending to the execution of court orders made by judges and judicial justices
- Approving sureties, perfecting bail and deciding on the detention of seized property
- Generally, performing other duties required of a “justice” under the Criminal Code that are primarily administrative in nature and do not require the exercise of material judicial discretion
Guidelines for the conduct of JPS are found in the Justice of the Peace Code of Ethics
Appointment Process
A court manager contacts the Justice of the Peace (JP) Administrator at the Office of the Chief Judge when their court location requires a CSJP appointment.
The candidate submits an online application to the Judicial Council for appointment as a JP. When the application is received, the JP Administrator at the Office of the Chief Judge reviews it and obtains reference letters, a police record check, a credit history and a driving record.
The Regional Administrative Judge in the relevant region interviews the candidate. The applicant must successfully complete the JP basic training course and the final examination. The Judicial Council then considers the complete application and forwards the names of recommended applicants to the Attorney General for consideration for appointment by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (the Lieutenant Governor acting on the advice of the provincial Cabinet).
If you wish to apply
If you have been hired in a court location as a justice of the peace or hired in an administrative position that requires a JP commission, you must submit your application and a digital photo of yourself using our online system.
Before proceeding with an application, review the Justice of the Peace Process Summary.
You begin by creating a user account. Once you log in, select the Justice of the Peace Application form. You can save your partially completed application, log out, and log in later. When ready, submit the Justice of the Peace Application and a digital photograph of yourself to the Office of the Chief Judge.
You must also complete the Online background eConsent forms.
Revised March 2023