Notaries are an independent branch of the legal profession. Although many notaries are also solicitors the practice of a Notary is quite separate from his or her practice of any other profession or business.
The Notary profession is regulated by its own rules made by the UK Court of Faculties by virtue of Orders of the Master who is a High Court judge. Technically the UK rules do not apply in Gibraltar but as a matter of good practice Gibraltar notaries observe these rules.
Notarial acts require a high standard of care, as clients, third parties and foreign governments and officials place reliance on such acts. The Notary has a responsibility to protect against error, omission, alterations, fraud, and forgery. Notarial acts are not rubber-stamping exercises and the requirements of accuracy and validity cannot be overridden by urgency or expense.
We take every precaution to ensure that nothing does go wrong. However, in the event of a problem, we will work towards resolving it.
The UK Notaries Society
If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received, please do not hesitate to contact Chris Keightley-Pugh first. If he is unable to resolve the issue you may be able to refer the matter to the UK Notaries Society who have a complaint procedure. As Chris Keightley-Pugh is an associate member of the UK Notaries Society their procedure is available to help resolve matters.
In that case, please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full details to:
Christopher Vaughan
Secretary of the UK Notaries Society
Old Church Chambers
23 Sandhill Road
St James
Northampton
NN5 5LH
+44 1473 622438
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If you have any difficulty making a complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to call the UK Notaries Society for assistance.
The Faculty Office
If you are still unhappy with the solution we can offer you may contact the UK Faculty Office who may be able to provide further guidance and provide assistance. Usually the Faculty Office will only get involved if there is a more serious issue of notarial misconduct involved.
The Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
The Faculty Office
1, The Sanctuary
Westminster
London
SW1P 3JT
+44 207 222 5381
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www.facultyoffice.org.uk
In Gibraltar a Notary must hold a practicing certificate to practice as a Gibraltar Notary which is issued annually by the Registrar of the Supreme Court on payment of the prescribed fee.
