Notaries across Quebec are criticizing a decision by the Ministry of Justice that now restricts remote electronic signatures to very specific exceptional cases; They believe this regression will have damaging consequences for both the profession and the public.
Since October 24, signing notarial documents is no longer possible remotely, as was the case during the pandemic, except in exceptional cases.
“I meet most of my customers in person in Ste-Anne-des-Monts. On the other hand, I cover an area of 300 kilometers. I have certain clients who are a three-hour drive from me and I am one of the few notaries available,” laments notary Laurent Carli-Trudeau.
“Sometimes it might make sense to use remote signing,” he further argues.
However, the Justice Department does not intend to review the law.
When contacted by TVA Nouvelles, the minister’s office said that remote signing is not a common practice internationally and could lead to certain security risks.
“However, we are aware that in certain cases a client’s personal situation requires a remote signature. For this reason, the solution we have chosen, which offers the possibility of signing notarial deeds remotely in certain circumstances, is balanced,” the Office of the Minister of Justice added.
For full details, listen to the video at the beginning of the article.