Question reference: S6W-16386
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 29 March 2023
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Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 April 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the measures in the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 for the disapplication of physical presence requirements for signatures should be reviewed.
Answer
The purpose of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 was to embed reforms in Scotland’s public services and justice system that, though necessitated by the Covid pandemic, have delivered improvements for service users and improved efficiency.
Section 39 enables lawyers to provide specific legal services such as the taking or administering of oaths, affirmations or declarations, and the execution of certain documents, without being in the physical presence of those seeking such legal services.
Section 25 enables the process for registering a birth to be carried out remotely, and for registers to be kept electronically. Section 27 enable the process for registering a death to be carried out remotely, and for registers to be kept electronically. Both replace the process where a registration form required to be signed in the registrar’s physical presence.
There is no intention at this time to review the provisions in the 2020 Act in these areas.