Commissioner of oaths

The City of Beaconsfield offers this service to citizens for official documents such as: 

• Affidavit general (solemn declaration) 

• Authorization to travel with a minor child 

• Life certificate 

• Invitation letter or lodging letter 

Procedure for the citizen 

Each person wishing to make a solemn declaration on a document must come to City Hall in person with the completed but not signed form. A commissioner of oaths may then administer oath, subject to the restrictions mentioned below. The declarant must, however, present a recognized piece of identification with photo. 

Rate 

A maximum fee of $5 for each oath, according to the By-law on tariffs in force. 

A Commissioner of Oaths cannot: 

Certify documents or attest that a copy of a document is in accordance to the original. However, the commissioner may administer an oath to a person who presents him or her a copy of a document and who declares that it is in accordance to the original document. Although, this declaration would not have the effect of giving a true value to this copy, because the depositary of an original document has this power only (for example, the notary for the notarial will, the registrar of civil status for a birth certificate). 

Responsibilities 

Commissioners of oaths are not required to verify the accuracy of a statement sworn under oath. In fact, it is the person making the oath that’s responsible for the content of the resulting document. 

On the other hand, Commissioners of Oaths may refuse to administer an oath if he or she notes that: 

• The document is not prepared in the prescribed form, it is clearly worded incorrectly or contains vulgar or unreasonable assertions; 

• The affiant does not seem to be in full control of his or her faculties or does not seem to be able to express his or her will. 

Non-exhaustive list of other persons authorized to administer an oath 

Because of their status, many people can administer an oath without being specifically appointed by the Minister of Justice. 

• Clerk of a court of justice and his deputy, 

• Mayor and Councillors, 

• City clerk or secretary-treasurer of a municipality (only within the limits of their municipality), 

• Pastor or Minister of religion authorized to solemnize marriages in an unorganized territory, 

• Lawyers, Notaries and justices of the peace.