"It's something I've thought about for a few years and I guess through my involvement in other aspects of the community, I'm really aware that there are fewer people being asked to do more things and so I just felt that that was something that I was capable of doing and that it would be helpful," she said after being officially sworn in by Oamaru District Court Judge Dominic Dravitzki.
"I understand that it is quite difficult to get JPs in New Zealand in lots of situations, so I just thought that was something I could do and people can access me quite easily. I've dealt with a lot of that kind of thing before. Being a school principal, you do a lot of signing off of things and it just seemed a reasonable thing for me to be able to do for the community."
JPs cannot provide legal advice but can witness and certify document signings, such as affidavits which can be used in court proceedings.
"I've done a couple of training nights with the other JPs in the community and they are a fantastic group of people. And so what makes me feel confident about being able to do it is that there are so many lovely people doing the role already who have been incredibly supportive and so I don't feel like I'm on my own.
"If there's something that I don't know or I'm unsure of, I know that I've got people I can reach out to. So it makes you feel confident about taking anything on."
Ms Walshe said being a principal was a busy job, but it would not be a problem adding JP duties to her list.
"I'm just going to follow the principle of if you want something done, you ask a busy person. That's generally how things get done in Oamaru anyway."
A JP is available most Monday mornings at Citizens Advice for a few hours, as well as Wednesdays at Oamaru Public Library from 10am to 1pm. About 10 JPs are on a roster for that clinic.
JPs are available in their own homes, but clients must phone ahead for appointments. People can also use the website https://justiceofthepeace.org.nz/ to access a JP near them.
