Certifying electronic copies of documents

JPs are only able to certify copies of original documents. As copies of electronic documents are generally either printouts or photocopies themselves, they cannot be certified by a JP as being a copy of the original document. The following practice is recommended when asked to deal with electronic copies of documents

  • Ask the person seeking a certified copy of an electronic document to complete a statutory declaration marking each set of documents as ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘C’ etc.
  • The declaration should use the words “Attached hereto and marked with the letter ‘A’ are” together with a suitable description of the document and how it was generated. For example:
    1. Printouts downloaded from my computer that are true and accurate copies of my payslips from etc. etc.
    2. Printouts downloaded from my computer that are true and accurate copies of my bank statements of my accounts with etc. etc.
    3. A printout that is a true and accurate copy downloaded from my iPad of an email forwarded to me by the Department of Immigration.
  • Each page of each attachment should be signed by the declarant and countersigned, dated and stamped by the witnessing JP as the attachment referred to in the declaration.
  • The statutory declaration may then be dated and signed before a JP or other officer able to witness statutory declarations.
Last updated: 2 October 2023