Notary Public

A notary public is an officer who can administer oaths and statutory declarations, witness and authenticate documents and perform certain other acts varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

For the purposes of authentication, most countries require commercial or personal documents which originate from or are signed in another country to be notarised before they can be used or officially recorded or before they can have any legal effect.

A notary mainly acts as an impartial witness to authenticate and certify the execution of documents required or intended for use outside the country.

Further authentication in the form of an Apostille from the Foreign Office or applicable Consulate may be necessary.

The signature and seal of a notary is recognised as evidence of a responsible legal officer in most countries of the world.

The duty and function of a notary is to prepare, attest, authenticate and certify deeds and other documents, for use anywhere in the world. His signature and official seal renders them acceptable, as proof of the matter attested by him, to the judicial or other public authorities in the country where they are to be used.

Notaries are required to undergo specific training in the performance of their duties. Even licensed lawyers must go through additional training, in some countries before being allowed to practice the profession of a notary.

A notary public is not an attorney-at-law unless also admitted to the bar, although some countries consider the profession of a civil law notary, itself, to be the practice of law.

In the United Kingdom, for example, a notary public can perform any task a solicitor or other lawyer can perform, as part of their notary public duties, with the sole exception of representing others before the courts, unless they are also licensed as a barrister.