Justices of the Peace Summary of Duties

The following is a short summary of the primary duties performed by me as Justices of the Peace in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is by no means a complete list, but it is meant to be a general guide to help you better understand the office of a Justices of the Peace and the varied responsibilities and functions that its commission entails.  

I. SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES WHEN SO AUTHORIZED
A marriage may be solemnized by a Justice of the Peace, anywhere in the Commonwealth. This is the most visible of all the functions performed by a Massachusetts Justice of the Peace.

A. FORM OF CEREMONY
As a general rule, there is no prescribed form of ceremony to solemnizes a marriage. Although particular words are not essential to a ceremonial marriage, the words employed must be sufficient to demonstrate a present marriage contract.

B. MARRIAGE RECORDS AND RETURNS
As your Justice of the Peace, I am obligated by law to return your marriage certificates to the clerk or registrar who issued the certificate upon performing your wedding. But as a keepsake, I can provide each couple with an "unofficial" Certificate of Marriage. This invaluable certificate can be taken on your honeymoon as the commonwealth licenses are not immediately available.

C. NON-REFUSAL TO PERFORM MARRIAGE CEREMONY
As a Justices of the Peace for the Commonwealth, I am a public official that has sworn an oath to "bear true faith and allegiance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and [to] support the constitution thereof." Moreover, I will perform any legal wedding allowed by the laws of the Commonwealth, without regards to your race, national origin or sexual orientation or other protected status.

II.  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As a Justice of the Peace I am also authorized to take acknowledgments in the same manner as a Notary Public.

III. OATHS
In addition, I am also authorized to administer certain oaths of office. Oaths may be administered to town clerks; to a probate and insolvency register; to special State police officers; to officers for return of expenses in criminal cases; for presiding officials of religious societies; to municipal employees; to caucus officers; to Commissioners in State, Territory, District, or Dependency, of the United States; to appraisers; and in probate court proceedings.

IV. DEPOSITIONS
In addition to witnessing a document, as a Justice of the Peace,  I may take, upon request, depositions within the commonwealth by administering written interrogations unless otherwise provided by a court. A deposition is usually a written statement by a witness under oath.

V. CALLING OF MEETINGS
Under certain limited circumstances, a Justice of the Peace may call meetings of corporations, fire districts, proprietors of private ways or bridges, proprietors of wharves and real estate lying in common, general field proprietors, religious societies, and a town meeting upon the resignations of a town selectmen by issuing a warrant.

 

I have been a resident of Westford Massachusetts for 50 years and involved in many types of community service.  I hold a Masters Degree in Health Sciences from Northeastern University and serve as Principal Consultant of Westford Associates a small private consulting service.  I was an educator for more than 30 years in the area of life sciences.