Kathmandu, November 9:

Attorney-General Yagya Murti Banjade said today that the authority to authenticate and attest public documents has been given to lawyers having licences of notary public.

“The authority was shifted to lawyers yesterday,” Banjade, who is the ex-officio chairman of the Notary Public Council Nepal (NPCN), told journalists. “Now the government officials will not exercise the authority to authenticate and attest any public document,” he added.

Before this, gazetted officials used to exercise the authority. The concept of notary public was introduced in the country after the promulgation of the Notary Public Act 2007. A lawyer with the licence of notary public will authenticate public documents like personal licences, passports, citizenship certificates and court documents and also translate them.

Yesterday, the NPCN issued licences to over 200 lawyers. The Kathmandu District Court Judge Narayan Prasad Dahal administered the oath of office to them. Other lawyers will get the licences within a few weeks, as 854 lawyers are found to be eligible to exercise the power. A lawyer having seven years of work experience can exercise the authority of notary public.

According to the NPCN, 1695 lawyers had submitted forms seeking licences, but 1,377 were found to be eligible to exercise the authority.