Glitter lacks substance1 and makes a kindergartener’s art a masterpiece without increasing its value.
I am a lawyer licensed to practise law in Ontario. I am also a commissioner of oaths. I am also a notary public. What does all that mean, and what does that have to do with glitter?
As a lawyer (a “licensee”π in Law Society of Ontario parlance), I am allowed to provide legal advice. As a lawyer, I am also a commissioner of oaths. I can swear someone in to tell the truth at an official examination, like questioning or discoveries, or to finalize an affidavit to make it a sworn document. “Do you swear to tell the truth …”. You know the line. To say “yes” to that question when posed by a commissioner of oaths, and then to knowingly not tell the truth, is a criminal offence. Without the formality of what is called the jurat (the question “do you swear …”), it is just a lie without legal ramifications*.
Some people can be a commissioner of oaths without being a lawyer. The law allows some government officials to administer oaths, like a mayor, a city counsellor, judges**, court clerks, and others. Some others can apply to be a commissioner of oaths for limited purposes, like law office staff and process servers.
I am also a notary public. Not all lawyers are. I had to apply and be accepted. However, as a lawyer, I am allowed to be a notary public as I fit within the class of persons who qualify. If you are not a lawyer but meet the requirements of the regulations, you can become a notary public. Funny thing while researching this post. There are no regulations defining who can be a notary public. It appears only licensees of the Law Society qualify.
So what is a notary public?
As one, I have a formal, unique seal I can apply to documents to notarize them. Simply affixing a seal to a document is not a proper use of the power unless it is to:
(a) witness or certify, and attest, the execution of a document;
(b) certify and attest a true copy of a document.
There is no jurat to administer. By notarizing a document, I am assuring the accuracy of the purpose for the notarization (see (a) and (b) above). Asking a notary public (who was not a witness) to affix a seal onto a power of attorney or to emboss a bachelor’s degree does nothing to the document but damage it.
In my experience, some government or bank officials are impressed by the notary seal, but unless it is sealing a document for the purposes of (a) and (b) above, it is, I humbly submit, legal glitter.
Ď€ Paralegals are also licensees of the Law Society. This becomes important later.
* Some exceptions apply, like applying for a mortgage or speaking to police.
** Technically, judges stop being lawyers when they are summoned to the bench. They are not allowed to provide legal advice and are not governed by the Law Society of Ontario.
What SullivanLaw’s official position is about glitter (not notarization): caution: language.