Australia Moves Towards Digital Statutory Declarations

The days of signing on the dotted line may be numbered — at least in Australia. The federal government has announced it is taking statutory declarations into the digital age, saying it will accept electronic signatures and video link witnessing from next year. It makes permanent a change introduced during the pandemic, when attending a justice of the peace (JP) for a statutory declaration — a practice that goes back to the 19th century — was forbidden under lockdown restrictions.

Legislation introduced this week by the federal attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, will also allow people to digitally execute a statutory declaration using the online platform myGov and the myGovID Digital ID. Dreyfus says the bill is intended to keep with the changing ways of Australians. “This bill will respond to how Australians want and expect to engage and communicate digitally with government by providing options to make commonwealth statutory declarations facilitated by technology,” he says. “This bill is an important milestone in driving the digitisation of government services.”