Recently I signed an everyday, minor event statutory declaration for the Australian government, this as is customary, requiring a lawyer’s witness signature. Except in fact, no longer so.
I say that as the form was accompanied by a government leaflet re the Aussies’ Statutory Declaration Act which advised that the witness to my signature could now be any registered practitioner in a lengthy range of activities, such as a doctor, nurse, Police officer, MP, pharmacist, veterinary surgeon and so on.
In other words, the witness no longer had to be a lawyer as we’re all accustomed to. This is sensible.
Witnessing a signature is a simple act and the convention we’ve been historically accustomed to that it must be done by a lawyer is a massive nuisance for most folk, who in the normal course of events, have no contact with lawyers.
So too for the lawyers concerned who usually don’t charge for this despite its inconvenience.
The change is yet another sensible rationalisation in human affairs, occurring world-wide.
That said having a witness to a signature can be critical.
Coincidentally, I’m familiar with two recent cases where former wives of a deceased have tried to make claims on his estate saying he’d promised them a legacy. But his actual will ignored them so they argued his signature must have been forged. The witness to his signature thus became pivotal in resolving the matter.
As an aside I suspect the Aussies may have been a bit too liberal in including chiropractors in their list given the number of times we read of court proceedings when the buggers have got a bit too intimate location-wise with some of their clientele.
10 Comments
Just signing some documents this morning which require a witness to the signiture, as long as witness isnt a family member, its fine.
last visit to a chiropractor ,he told me “no no no ..put your pants back on…” he must be a dud one
Well, so true Bob, Chiropractors after all are master manipulators. And yes the Aussies have had this system for an along time now. We use the local chemist. Quick, easy and convenient.
I also think that a witness could be an Aussie citizen who has lived continously in New Zealand for over 50 consecutive years
Public Notary charging $165 for certified signature $35 for each item thereafter not a bad lark!
Your average six figure public servant looking down from the high eschellons
of virtuous social resposibility to the backs of those stupid conservative working class surfdom fools.
Thinking more along the lines of public notified idiot should be just as good. Why not ?
Lets make it $200+gst and no pontificating self righteous social resposibility finger tutt-tutting bull-shit.
Just hand over the money.
Wayne Browns a bloody legend.
Tell your sons you poofs.
Youre not getting confused with a gynasecologist…
I use to play tennis with one, who was as good with his left hand as his right….suppose that came in handy…it certainly was for tennis…
He died unexpectedly a year or two ago, and I never got to ask him why he chose that as a career…
Im not holding my breath for solicitor to give us their elusive rights to their careers either, as I suspect signing statements is a door to wider business, where AI is going to be continue to eat into their generic business….
A quick photo of one in the act of signing would also do the job and in this digital age could be easily attached to the document concerned..
This guy related SB ?
Definitely on the right track, but stuff the left turns.
Common cents you won’t agree with SB.
NZ can’t afford the ‘nice to haves’ of MMP.
We don’t have the GDP.
Those with differing opinions can join a FPP party and work to change opinion from within, otherwise why should we pay for radical ‘nice to haves’ we can’t afford.
Maintain the basics; law, health, education, our ‘share’ of western defence to provide a functioning democracy. Security on which to build new ideas.
Actually, all you need is a JP who is not allowed to charge for their services.
The Aussies are a little different as a JP is authorised for each State and also Federally.