By BRIDGET COOK
A FORMER Casey councillor has been stripped of his privileged Justice of the Peace (JP) title, after being convicted of trespass and resisting arrest.
The City of Casey wrote to the Department of Justice late last year seeking a review of Paul Richardson’s status as a JP, after he was found guilty and convicted for charges of trespass and resisting arrest at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in November.
The charges stemmed from a rowdy council meeting in April 2012, where Mr Richardson refused to leave the gallery when asked to do so.
Police were called and had to forcibly remove him from the council chambers.
On Thursday, Mr Richardson’s status as a JP was formally revoked under s116 of the Magistrates’ Court Act 1989, by an order published in the 10 April 2014 Victorian Government Gazette.
A spokesperson for the Attorney-General Robert Clark said he made the decision following the recommendation from the independent investigator into the matter.
“A complaint was received by the Honorary Justice Office (HJO) in November 2013 and the complaints procedure as outlined on the HJO website was followed,” the spokesperson said.
“As required by the procedure, an independent investigator – a retired magistrate – was appointed.
“The independent investigator recommended that Mr Richardson’s appointment be revoked and the Attorney-General accepted this recommendation.”
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett said clearly the State Government did not believe Mr Richardson’s conduct and conviction was fitting for such an esteemed and privileged position.
“JPs are held in high regard and fulfil a high level of responsibility to the community,” he said.
“The government’s decision to revoke Mr Richardson’s status as a JP is something which happens rarely and only when someone is bringing the office of JP into disrepute.”
Mr Richardson said he would reserve his comments on the matter to a later date, when he will expose the full corrupt history of the City of Casey from 2002 onwards.
