Dennis Tan on Oaths, Declarations and Notarisations (Remote Methods) Bill and constitutional amendment bill

Proposed changes to allow notarisations via live video link could make it even harder for notaries to verify the identity and location of the person executing the document, as well as the authenticity of the document. This raises the risk of fraud and the question of notaries being held liable, which may not be fair to them, especially given the relatively low fees they are supposed to charge. MP Dennis Tan made these points in Parliament on Wednesday (Aug 2). He asked for provisions to protect notaries, such as making the client declare their identity and whereabouts, subject to penalties if they are found to have lied. Mr Tan said this might also apply to non-notary parties administering oaths or statutory declarations under the proposed amendments.