NOTARY PUBLIC in Asian Countries

China

The history of notaries in China is deeply intertwined with the county's legal administrative evolution, reflecting China's rich and complex legal traditions. The concept of notarization in China, while influenced by Western practices in modern times, has roots that can be tracked back to ancient administrative and legal practices.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the legal system underwent significant restructuring, with notarial services gradually being incorported into the state-run legal framework.

China is a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents on 7 August 2019 and officially acceded to Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023.

The notarial system in PRC is a well-established and integral part of the legal landscape in the modern era. It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and follows a legal framework that ensures the authenticity and legality of notarized documents.

China Taiwan

Taiwan has its own distrinct features influenced by its legal traditions and historical context. Between 1895 and 1945 Taiwan's notarial practices were influenced under Japanese rules and later after World War II by the Taiwan government.

The Notary Act is the primary legislation governing notarial practices in Taiwan. Notaries services in Taiwan are provided by private notarial offices and law firm, are responsible for authenticating and certifying a wide range of documents, that includes verifying the identity of signatories, witnessing signatures and certifying the accuracy of copies of documents.

Japan

The notarial system in Japan adopted the Western legal principles during the Meiji Restoration period (1868-1912). The primary legislation governing notaries in Japan is the Notarial Act. Notaries in Japan operate from public notarial offices.The Japanese Civil Code and various other legal provisions have impacts on notarial practices, particularly in the authentication and execution of legal documents.

Singapore

In Singapore, initially, notaries were influenced by English common law. After gaining independence in 1965, Singapore began to establish its own legal framework, including reforms and updates to its notarial system, the Notaries Act in 1960 was enacted. The Act established the legal basis for notarial practices and aimed to ensure the accuracy and reliability of notarized documents.

Korea

The history of notaries in Korea is shaped by its unique legal and political history. During the period of 1910 to 1945, it's legal system was heavily influenced by Japanese laws and practices including notarial services. In 1945, Korea established its own legal framework. The modern system was formlized with the enactment of Notary Act in 1961. The Act established the legal framework for notaries in South Korea, defining their roles, responsibilities and procedures.