One small stroke of a pen, one giant leap for legal procedure

/in ,

On 22 April 2020, the NSW government enacted the Electronic Transactions Amendment (COVID-19 Witnessing of Documents) Regulation 2020 (COVID-19 Regulation), which can found here.

Anyone who under NSW law must witness signatures for the documents below, take note: the signature may now be witnessed by audio visual link.

The COVID-19 Regulation affects witnesses of those signing documents, including:

  • a will;
  • a power of attorney or an enduring power of attorney;
  • a deed or agreement;
  • an enduring guardianship appointment;
  • an affidavit including annexures or exhibits; and
  • statutory declarations.

The regulations commenced on 22 April 2020, and this brave new world is expected to last for a minimum of six months.

The essential steps are as follows:

  1. The witness and the person making the statement must have a real time “audio visual link”; and
  2. The witness must observe the person signing the document in real time; and
  3. The witness must themselves sign the document as soon as practicable after the link; and
  4. The witness must endorse the document with a statement about the method of witnessing the signature, and state that it was witnessed in accordance with the Electronic Transactions Amendment (COVID-19 Witnessing of Documents) Regulation 2020.

The link must be audio and visual, and it must be “continuous and contemporaneous”. Video conferencing is the prime example.

A witness does not need to sign the same hard copy document. They can either (a) sign a separate counterpart, or (b) sign a scanned version of the document that they witnessed being signed. Whatever they choose, they would do well to carefully store all original copies of signed documents, and prepare a file note of the experience.

Readers should be aware that the COVID-19 Regulation does not change what actually needs to be signed and how it is to be signed. Certain documents, such as wills, have very particular requirements that still must be followed.

Nevertheless, another face-to-face process has been put on pause to keep society safe.

 

COVID Update – Environmental Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development – Construction Work Days) Order 2020

/in , ,

Yesterday (April 2,2020), the Environment Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development – Construction Work Days) Order 2020 came into effect. The Order allows for building work and demolition work to be carried out on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, provided that the development is approved through development consent and continues to comply with all other conditions of the development consent. Further any work that is performed on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday must:

  1. comply with the conditions of consent that restrict hours of work on any other day as if the condition applied to work on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday;

 

  1. not involve the carrying out of rock breaking, rock hammering, sheet piling or similar activities during the weekend and public holiday work hours; and

 

  1. all feasible and reasonable measures are taken to minimise noise.

 

So what does this mean for the construction industry? Where a project is subject to development consent conditions that restrict the days of working to Monday to Friday, the Order allows for the approved working hours in the development consent to apply to weekends and public holidays. The purpose of this Order is to allow for construction sites to implement social distancing measures which may require smaller workforces on site but prevent or minimise loss of productivity by allowing works to be carried out on more days.

As a result, construction programs may need to be reconfigured to balance the slower rate of progressing the works due to social distancing and/or team splitting, any EOTs claimed and the greater number of days that can be worked.

The Order may also result in contractors and subcontractors being able to make a claim in relation to a change in legislative requirements under their contracts. This may result in entitlements for time or cost relief arising from complying with the Order and other government orders made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

If you need advice as to how this order affects your contractual obligations or are negotiating a contract, please contact us. We are committed to providing the highest quality of legal services at competitive prices to help you and your business get through these challenging times.