Signatures to Petitions (CAP. 401 1
CHAPTER 401
THE SIGNATURES T O PETITIONS ACT
Arrangement of Sections
Section
1 . Short title.
2. Prohibition against appending another's name to
petition, &c., without consent.
3. Certificate by person appending another's name to
petition, &c.
4. Signature of Justice of the Peace or Notary Public
equivalent to certificate.
5. Saving as to application of Act.
6. Penaltv.
7. Procedure where charge appears to be one proper for
indictment.
SIGNATURES TO PETITIONS
(1st December, 1916.)
1. This Act may be cited as the Signatures to Petitions Short title.
Act.
2. Any person who appends to any petition or letter Prohibition
against
or similar document the name or mark of any other person appending
without his knowledge and consent shall be guilty of an ;,"J~:":.
offence against this Act. without consent.
3. Where the name or mark of any person is appended certificate p son ppending by
to any petition or letter or similar document at his request, another's name
the scribe who writes the name or makes the mark on the petition* k c .
LAWS OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
2 CAP. 401) Signatures to Petitions
document shall certify under this hand on the document that
the document was read and explained to the person whose
name or mark is so appended and that the person appeared
to understand its contents and approved of them and that
the person's name or mark was appended at his request,
and in the certificate the scribe shall state his full name and
his occupation and usual place of abode. Any person who
fails to append such a certificate or appends a certificate which
is untrue in any particular shall be guilty of an offence against
this Act.
Signature of
Justice of the
4. If the scribe is a Justice of the Peace or a Notary
peace or N~~~~~ Public his signature appended to the document shall be
Public equivalent deemed to be equivalent to the certificate hereinbefore
to certificate.
required.
Saving as to
application of
5 . Nothing in this Act shall apply to any petition or
A C ~ . other document addressed to any Court of law, or to be filed
or lodged in any proceeding in any Court of law, which has
been prepared or drawn by a duly authorized legal
practitioner.
Penalty. 6. Anyone who contravenes the provisions of this Act
shall be guilty of an offence against this Act and shall be
liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding two
hundred and fifty dollars or to be imprisoned for a period
not exceeding two months.
Procedure where 7. If on the hearing of any complaint for an offence
charge appears to
be one proper for under this Act it appears to the Magistrate that the case ought
indictment. to be tried as an indictable offence before the High Court,
or if- the Director of Public Prosecutions intimates to the
Magistrate his opinion in writing to that effect, all further
proceedings thereon as for a summary offence shall be stayed,
and depositions shall be taken and the case shall in all other
respects be dealt with, as if the complaint had been originally
one for an indictable offence, or the Magistrate shall adjourn
the case to enable proceedings for an indictable offence to
be taken.
