We all have gathered here to bind these two in the thread of holy matrimony, is not a very unfamiliar phrase and all of us are acquainted with it. This is mostly said by a justice of the peace in the US, while officiating at a wedding. It is one of the most honored positions, even though not very powerful. Nevertheless, there is more to the position than just officiating at weddings. In the US, he presides over a court of limited jurisdiction and settles petty issues like misdemeanor, traffic violations, and the likes in some states. How to Become a Justice of the Peace? Becoming a justice of peace is not a mean feat. Application process is an uphill route. However, if you are determined enough, you can surely be one. Here is how you can do it.

• First of all, you cannot just apply for this position randomly. You need to get in touch with the secretary of state's office and ask about the requirements and the whole procedure.
• The basic requirements are state citizenship, voter registration, and to write an oath stating no conviction against a crime. For that, you would have to go through the routine police records check, and also pay a fee for the overall commission.
• You need to submit all the necessary documents, fees, and evidences to the secretary of state's office.
• Keep your fingers crossed and brace your patience, because it's a long and winding way. You would need to wait for at least 10 weeks for your application to be processed, after all the background checks are over.
• If your application is approved, check out and see if the governor and executive counsel appoints you. If you are appointed, you would be commissioned for five years.

As mentioned earlier, there is more to this position than just officiating at weddings. Therefore, following is a brief overview of his duties. The Duties In the US In some states of the US, he acts as a judge in the court with limited jurisdiction. In other cases, he also serves as a magistrate or a quasi-judicial officer with a few common or statutory law magisterial powers. Normally, he presides over court cases related to petty crimes like traffic violations, registering orders, misdemeanor cases and so on. In some states he is appointed, and in others it is an elected position. Their offices according to national directory are located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Texas, Louisiana, and Vermont. The office is an elected one in Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, and Vermont. Becoming a justice, gives an individual an opportunity to be a witness and participant in a wedding ceremony. This is considered as the most widespread duty of this office. In other Countries In the United Kingdom, specifically in England and Wales, summary justice is done by a magistrate's court comprising a bench of three justices of the Peace or magistrates. Summary justice refers to crimes which do not account for an imprisonment of more than 6 months. Moving on to Asia, and the orient, in India, this office is a very ornamental one. Even though it exists, it is not a permanent one. In Australia, it apparently is less rigid as compared to other countries. In Australia, he is basically a god human being, having respect in the society. Such person is authorized to sign statutory declarations and affidavits, and to authenticate and attest copies of original documents. In some countries, you also need to have qualifications certifying you as a lawyer or an attorney for getting this job. The travesty is, even though this is such an advantageous and a practically useful office, in a few countries, it is totally draconian and real judicial powers are seldom vested in the office.