What is a notary?
A Notary, or Notary Public or Public Notary (the terms all mean the same thing), is a lawyer. The concept of a notary public has its origins in Roman law, when notaries were charged with recording important events and contracts in writing. Even today, the notary is at the summit of the legal profession in those countries whose legal systems are based on the Civil Code, which includes nearly all members of the European Union and nearly all of Central and South America. Notaries public have this position because they are trusted to record events accurately and faithfully. Their duty is not simply to their client, but one of simple recording of the truth. Notaries are deemed to be the ultimate witness. In common law countries, such as England, the United States, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand, Public Notaries have a less exalted position. However they come into their own when documents signed or created in England, for example, need ultimately to be used in another country.
