A work colleague shot an email around the office recently asking for someone to witness a legal document he had to sign. He needed to know if anyone in the building fitted the criteria for being an approved witness.
So who is trusted enough to witness the signing of the document? The list is quite long:
– Academic (post-secondary institution)
– Accountant
– Architect
– Australian Consular Officer
– Australian Diplomatic Officer
– Bailiff
– Bank Manager
– Chartered Secretary
– Chemist
– Chiropractor
– Company Auditor or Liquidator
– Court Officer (judge, magistrate, registrar or clerk)
– Defence Force Officer (Commissioned, Warrant or NCO with 5 years continuous service)
– Dentist
– Doctor
– Electorate Officer (state)
– Engineer
– Industrial organisation secretary
– Insurance Broker
– Justice of the Peace
– Lawyer
– Local Government CEO or Deputy CEO
– Local Government Councilor
– Loss Adjuster
– Marriage Celebrant
– Member of Parliament (State or Commonwealth)
– Minister of Religion
– Nurse
– Optometrist
– Patent Attorney
– Physiotherapist
– Podiatrist
– Police Officer
– Post Office Manager
– Psychologist
– Public Notary
– Public Servant (State or Commonwealth)
– Real Estate Agent
– Settlement Agent
– Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff
– Surveyor
– Teacher
– Tribunal Officer
– Veterinary Surgeon
Fascinating stuff really. I look at the list and wonder why some professions were chosen over others. Why do we believe that those professions make a person more worthy than others?
I see that real estate agents are there but other sales people aren’t. Surveyors can be trusted to sign documents but mortgage brokers can’t.
I’ve scanned the list a few times and can’t see any mention of radio broadcasters so I guess that I’m not a fit and suitable person to witness a signature. Let me caution you now …. I’m not to be trusted.
So do you fit the criteria? Do you think that your profession should be on the list? Are there any of those on the list that you think shouldn’t be there.
I suppose the big question is whether it’s right to allow some signatures to be legally recognised and others not, simply according to what people do from 9 to 5 each day.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Technorati Tags: Signature – Witness – Legal
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It is interesting that in most things like this where teaching is listed, it also states that the teacher must have had some years (usually 5) experience.
As part of my job I help people apply for store credit cards. Part of the application process is me sighting relevant id and signing that it matches the application. However when my card came through (staff had to apply by post) I received the above list of people who could verify me. I asked why I could not get a colleague and was told that they were not on the list. Very bizarre if you ask me!
fascinating! i can’t be trusted either. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind this.
(ps I trust you)
Having gone through this process before, you’ll find all those occupations have been registered at least somewhere. It just means they can be tracked down and their status in the job can be verified and is somewhat more creditable then the average Joe off the street.
My understanding of it anyway
That’s interesting. Of course, I can’t be trusted, either. There’s nothing on there like housewife/homemaker/stay-at-home-mom. Stay-at-home moms can be trusted to raise their children but can’t be trusted to be a reliable witness. Funny. No worries – my hubby’s on the list (dentist).
David has it right – there’s a matter of certification or registration involved with all of these occupations.
yea, I think it’s a matter of having a sizeable (and therefore reliable) professional organisation that one can be registered with. (And thus they can also kick you out, should you prove to be dodgy…)
What? Librarians aren’t on the list!!!
Of course we can be trusted. Don’t they know we’re all cute little old ladies with grey buns and half moon spectacles 😉