Ivan Chan is giving back to the Melton community by volunteering as a Justice of the Peace. He speaks with Sarah Oliver.
What is your connection to Taylors Hill?
I live in Taylors Hill and I am a school teacher. I have been living in this area for more than a decade. I used to teach in an independent school, and also run a Chinese School in Caroline Springs
What do you love about the area?
It is a quiet and friendly neighbourhood suburb, with many young families choosing to live in this area. Lots of facilities, parks and the people are nice.
What are your favourite local spots?
So many nice spots in this area. I would say Watergardens Shopping Centre is the best spot, that you can do shopping, gyms, movies, dining out … sort of everything in one area!
You’ve recently been appointed as a Justice of the Peace (JP) – can you tell us a bit about what that means?
JP is a volunteering position, and JP volunteers are part of a collective group known as Honorary Justices. JPs are appointed by the Governor-in-Council on the recommendation of the attorney-general. The role of a JP is customer focused and administrative that we provide document witnessing and certification services to the broader community, both during and outside business hours.
Why did you decide to become a Justice of the Peace?
There are many reasons why a person would want to become a JP. For me, I would just like to contribute to my beloved community, and spend some personal time to provide the certification and witnessing services. Even though police can also provide similar services, more JPs can certainly free up workloads from the police.
Can you tell us about your involvement with strategy game, Othello?
Yes, in 2019 Tokyo World Othello Championship, Australia came seventh among 23 countries, and it was a very valuable experience for me and the whole Aussie team. I am still heavily involved in promoting Othello in Australia, and recently I also support the World Othello Team Masters (WOTM), which is the online format of the World Othello Championship (WOC). Due to COVID, most people cannot travel freely so the online tournament is the way to go. Hopefully things can get better and Othello players can play over the board soon.
What’s something people might find surprising about you?
I love playing music and running. If you hear loud guitar banging somewhere, or you see someone running on the street on a regular basis, that could be me!
Where can people find you to witness documents? Do they need to book in?
People can visit www.justice.vic.gov.au/justices to find their local JP and document signing station. Document signing stations provide the community with convenient access to JP, and they are located in public locations including police stations and libraries etc. You may also contact your local JP and make an appointment. Please note that online witnessing is also an option (except certifying true copies of an original document).
