When Bureaucracy Becomes a Barrier to Justice - Hornsby Shire Council Libary
A dispute at a suburban Sydney library raises an uncomfortable question: are routine public services being used to frustrate litigation against the state? On the afternoon of February 1, 2026 , a routine errand at a public library in Sydney’s north turned into something more troubling. I had gone to Hornsby Library to access a basic civic service: the witnessing of an affidavit by a Justice of the Peace —a step required before documents can be filed in court. What followed was not dramatic. There was no shouting, no security incident, no refusal framed in legal terms. Instead, there was something subtler: delay, discouragement, and quiet obstruction , administered through procedure rather than force. That distinction matters. A Small Gate in the Legal System In New South Wales, Justices of the Peace are meant to serve as low-level gateways to justice . They verify affidavits, certify documents, and ensure that ordinary citizens—especially those without lawyers—can meet procedural requ...
