Justices of the Peace are honorary judicial officers who are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. They are authorised to administer oaths, witness statutory declarations, issue search warrants and warrants of arrest, and conduct preliminary hearings of suspects. In 1926 an amendment to the Justices Act allowed that a woman should not be disqualified by sex or marriage from being appointed, thus enabling women to participate in a significant part of the justice system.