Notarizations of Documents

Nutarizzazzjonijiet ta' Dokumenti

A notary public holds the esteemed position of a public officer appointed by their respective state government to fulfill a vital role as an impartial witness in activities encompassing the acknowledgment of documents, the administration of oaths and affirmations, and the execution of other legally authorized acts. Individuals often seek the services of notarial offices for various document notarizations. It is paramount to emphasize that there exist specific criteria under which a notary is prohibited from performing notarizations, making it imperative for the notary to exercise discretion and, in certain instances, decline to execute a notarization.

Several common reasons underpin the refusal to notarize a document:

A) Non-Compliance with Notarization Criteria:

• The principal fails to present themselves personally before the notary.
• Inadequate provision of proper identification by the principal.
• The notary harbors reservations regarding the identity of the person appearing before them in relation to the information presented in the provided identification.
• The principal in question bears a close familial relationship, such as that of a spouse or parent.
• The notary holds a vested interest or financial stake in the transaction, thereby compromising their impartiality.

B) Requests Beyond Designated Business Hours

C) Notary Discomfort with the Transaction:

On numerous occasions, this unease arises due to one or more of the following factors:

• The notary harbors suspicions regarding the authenticity or legitimacy of the transaction;
• The document is composed in a foreign language that lies beyond the notary's linguistic comprehension;
• Language barriers impede effective communication between the notary and the principal;
• The notary suspects that the principal may have been coerced or unduly influenced into signing the document;
• The principal exhibits signs of intoxication, confusion, or a lack of comprehension regarding the document's contents and the implications of its execution.

Furthermore, it is incumbent upon a notary to exercise the utmost caution in avoiding refusals to perform notarizations that could be construed as discriminatory based on factors such as race, gender, or sexual orientation. Additionally, a notary is prohibited from declining to notarize a document solely on account of personal, political, religious, or subjective objections to its content.

Regards,
Dr Clara Farrugia Grixti
Notary Public, Malta.

A nutar pubbliku għandu l-pożizzjoni stmata ta’ uffiċjal pubbliku maħtur mill-gvern tal-istat rispettiv tagħhom biex jaqdi rwol vitali bħala xhud imparzjali f’attivitajiet li jinkludu r-rikonoxximent ta’ dokumenti, l-amministrazzjoni ta’ ġuramenti u affermazzjonijiet, u l-eżekuzzjoni ta’ atti oħra legalment awtorizzati. Individwi ħafna drabi jfittxu s-servizzi ta’ uffiċċji notarili għal diversi notarilizzazzjonijiet ta’ dokumenti. Huwa importanti ħafna li jiġi enfasizzat li jeżistu kriterji speċifiċi li taħthom nutar huwa pprojbit milli jwettaq notarilizzazzjonijiet, li jagħmilha imperattiv għall- nutar li jeżerċita diskrezzjoni u, f'ċerti każijiet, jirrifjuta li jesegwixxi notarizzazzjoni.

Diversi raġunijiet komuni jsostnu r-rifjut ta' notarizzazzjoni ta' dokument:

A) Nuqqas ta' Konformità mal-Kriterji tan-Nutarizzazzjoni:

• Il-prinċipal jonqos milli jippreżenta ruħu personalment quddiem iż- nutar.
• Provvediment inadegwat ta' identifikazzjoni xierqa mill-prinċipal.
• Iż- nutar għandha riżervi dwar l-identità tal-persuna li tidher quddiemha fir-rigward tal-informazzjoni ppreżentata fl-identifikazzjoni pprovduta.
• Il-prinċipal inkwistjoni għandu relazzjoni familjari mill-qrib, bħal dik ta' konjuġi jew ġenitur.
• Iż- nutar għandu interess jew sehem finanzjarju fit-tranżazzjoni, u b'hekk jikkomprometti l-imparzjalità tagħhom.

B) Talbiet lil hinn mill-Ħinijiet tax-Xogħol Maħtura

C) Nutar Skonfort mat-Tranżazzjoni:

F'diversi okkażjonijiet, dan l-inkwiet jirriżulta minħabba wieħed jew aktar minn dawn il-fatturi li ġejjin:

• Iż- nutar iżomm suspetti dwar l-awtentiċità jew il-leġittimità tat-tranżazzjoni;
• Id-dokument huwa magħmul f'lingwa barranija li tinsab lil hinn mill-komprensjoni lingwistika ta' nutar;
• L-ostakli tal-lingwa jfixklu l-komunikazzjoni effettiva bejn iż- nutar u l-prinċipal;
• Iż- nutar jissuspetta li l-prinċipal seta’ ġie mġiegħel jew influwenzat bla bżonn biex jiffirma d-dokument;
• Il-prinċipal juri sinjali ta' intossikazzjoni, konfużjoni, jew nuqqas ta' komprensjoni dwar il-kontenut tad-dokument u l-implikazzjonijiet tal-eżekuzzjoni tiegħu.

Barra minn hekk, huwa r-responsabbiltà ta’ nutar li jeżerċita l-akbar kawtela biex jevita rifjuti li jsiru notarilizzazzjonijiet li jistgħu jiġu interpretati bħala diskriminatorji abbażi ta’ fatturi bħar-razza, is-sess, jew l-orjentazzjoni sesswali. Barra minn hekk, nutar huwa pprojbit milli jirrifjuta li jinnotifika dokument biss minħabba oġġezzjonijiet personali, politiċi, reliġjużi jew suġġettivi għall-kontenut tiegħu.

Regards,
Dr Clara Farrugia Grixti
Nutar pubbliku, Malta.