{"id":32186,"date":"2026-09-15T06:58:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T06:58:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=32186"},"modified":"2026-09-15T07:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:10:57","slug":"notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Notary vs. Oath Commissioner in India: Powers, Affidavit Rules &amp; Legal Validity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 id=\"h-a-chamber-treatise-on-attestation-authentication-and-evidentiary-value-under-indian-law\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Chamber_Treatise_on_Attestation_Authentication_and_Evidentiary_Value_Under_Indian_Law\"><\/span>A Chamber Treatise on Attestation, Authentication, and Evidentiary Value Under Indian Law<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-i-introduction-the-trap-beneath-a-familiar-ritual\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_Introduction_The_Trap_Beneath_a_Familiar_Ritual\"><\/span>I. Introduction: The Trap Beneath a Familiar Ritual<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few procedural errors are as quietly costly as attesting a document before the wrong official. In everyday practice, a party walks up to a table outside a court complex, a rubber stamp descends upon the affidavit, a fee changes hands, and the matter is considered \u201cdone.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#A_Chamber_Treatise_on_Attestation_Authentication_and_Evidentiary_Value_Under_Indian_Law\" >A Chamber Treatise on Attestation, Authentication, and Evidentiary Value Under Indian Law<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#I_Introduction_The_Trap_Beneath_a_Familiar_Ritual\" >I. Introduction: The Trap Beneath a Familiar Ritual<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#II_Why_the_Confusion_Persists\" >II. Why the Confusion Persists<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#III_Statutory_Foundations\" >III. Statutory Foundations<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#A_Notary_Public%E2%80%94Notaries_Act_1952\" >A. Notary Public\u2014Notaries Act, 1952<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#B_Oath_Commissioner_%E2%80%94_Procedural_Codes_and_High_Court_Rules\" >B. Oath Commissioner \u2014 Procedural Codes and High Court Rules<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#IV_The_Comparative_Picture\" >IV. The Comparative Picture<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#V_Judicial_Pronouncements\" >V. Judicial Pronouncements<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#A_The_Evidentiary_Presumption_Attaching_to_Notarization\" >A. The Evidentiary Presumption Attaching to Notarization<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Jugraj_Singh_v_Jaswant_Singh_1970_2_SCC_386_AIR_1971_SC_761\" >Jugraj Singh v. Jaswant Singh (1970) 2 SCC 386 : AIR 1971 SC 761<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Wali_Mohammad_Chaudhari_v_Jamal_Uddin_Chaudhari_AIR_1950_All_524\" >Wali Mohammad Chaudhari v. Jamal Uddin Chaudhari AIR 1950 All 524<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Electric_Construction_Equipment_Co_Ltd_v_Jagjit_Electric_Works_AIR_1984_Delhi_363\" >Electric Construction &amp; Equipment Co. Ltd. v. Jagjit Electric Works AIR 1984 Delhi 363<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Prataprai_Trumbaklal_Mehta_v_Jayant_Nemchand_Shah_AIR_1992_Bom_149\" >Prataprai Trumbaklal Mehta v. Jayant Nemchand Shah AIR 1992 Bom 149<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#B_Notarized_Affidavits_Before_Courts_and_Registries\" >B. Notarized Affidavits Before Courts and Registries<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Sajjan_Kumar_v_CL_Verma_Others_2006_1_ALJ_73_All_DB\" >Sajjan Kumar v. C.L. Verma &amp; Others 2006 (1) ALJ 73 (All) (DB)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Prashant_Chandrashekhar_Gundawar_v_Municipal_Council_Bhadrawati_AIR_2009_Bombay_144\" >Prashant Chandrashekhar Gundawar v. Municipal Council, Bhadrawati AIR 2009 Bombay 144<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#C_The_Outer_Limit_of_an_Oath_Commissioners_Authority%E2%80%94The_Central_Holding\" >C. The Outer Limit of an Oath Commissioner&#8217;s Authority\u2014The Central Holding<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Smt_Manju_v_Ghanshyam_AIR_2008_MP_168_2008_1_MPHT_54_Full_Bench_Dipak_Misra_SA_Naqvi_JJ\" >Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam AIR 2008 MP 168: 2008 (1) MPHT 54 (Full Bench, Dipak Misra &amp; S.A. Naqvi, JJ.)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#Rambhuwan_Prasad_Upadhyaya_v_State_of_MP_WP_No_19451998_MP_High_Court_DB\" >Rambhuwan Prasad Upadhyaya v. State of M.P. W.P. No. 1945\/1998 (M.P. High Court, D.B.)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#VI_Key_Practical_Takeaways\" >VI. Key Practical Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#VII_Citation_Table\" >VII. Citation Table<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/notary-vs-oath-commissioner-india-affidavit-attestation-rules\/#VIII_Conclusion\" >VIII. Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But two entirely distinct offices sit behind that ritual\u2014the Notary Public, created by a dedicated central statute with nationwide and, in some respects, international recognition, and the Oath Commissioner, a creature of procedural codes and High Court rules whose authority is deliberately confined to affidavits used in judicial proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Treating them as interchangeable is not a harmless shortcut; it is a trap that has repeatedly resulted in the rejection of pleadings, the return of registry filings, and, in at least one reported Full Bench decision discussed below, the wholesale invalidation of a batch of appeals for want of proper attestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-ii-why-the-confusion-persists\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"II_Why_the_Confusion_Persists\"><\/span>II. Why the Confusion Persists<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affidavits are routinely sworn before either office; seals are affixed; parties assume equivalence because the physical result\u2014a stamped, signed sheet of paper\u2014looks identical either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The offices nevertheless differ in statutory origin, scope of authority, and legal consequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The governing rule of thumb is simple to state and easy to forget under deadline pressure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read the requirement of the receiving authority.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If a form, statute, or foreign consulate demands &#8220;notarization,&#8221; an oath commissioner&#8217;s attestation will not cure the defect, however promptly it was obtained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Full Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court captured the institutional root of this confusion with precision in <em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, where an entire batch of appeals was listed for \u201crectification of default\u201d because supporting affidavits under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963, had been sworn before an Oath Commissioner rather than a Notary\u2014a default the assembled Bar initially, and unsuccessfully, argued was no default at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-iii-statutory-foundations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"III_Statutory_Foundations\"><\/span>III. Statutory Foundations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-a-notary-public-notaries-act-1952\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Notary_Public%E2%80%94Notaries_Act_1952\"><\/span>A. Notary Public\u2014Notaries Act, 1952<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A notary is appointed under the Notaries Act, 1952. Section 3 empowers the Central Government (for the whole or any part of India) and State Governments (for the whole or any part of the State) to appoint notaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qualifications are prescribed by the Notaries Rules, 1956\u2014ordinarily a practicing advocate of not less than ten years&#8217; standing, with relaxations available for women and certain reserved categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 8 enumerates the functions of a notary: verifying, authenticating, certifying, or attesting the execution of an instrument; administering oaths and taking affidavits; preparing, attesting, or authenticating instruments intended to take effect outside India; translating and verifying translations; acting as a commissioner to record evidence when directed by a court; and other prescribed notarial acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crucially, Section 8(2) provides that no act under Section 8(1) is a \u201cnotarial act\u201d unless done under the notary&#8217;s signature and official seal\u2014the seal is not decorative; it is the operative element that converts a private attestation into a statutory notarial act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rule 11(2) of the Notaries Rules, 1956, correspondingly obliges every notary to enter each notarial act in a prescribed register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-b-oath-commissioner-procedural-codes-and-high-court-rules\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"B_Oath_Commissioner_%E2%80%94_Procedural_Codes_and_High_Court_Rules\"><\/span>B. Oath Commissioner \u2014 Procedural Codes and High Court Rules<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Oath Commissioner is appointed primarily under Section 139 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, Section 297 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Section 3 of the Oaths Act, 1969.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Appointment is by the High Court (or, under the CrPC, by the High Court or a Court of Session), typically of junior advocates, for a defined area and a renewable term under locally framed Commissioner of Oaths Rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The office&#8217;s core function is narrow: to administer oaths or affirmations and attest affidavits intended for use in judicial proceedings before the court or class of courts for which the appointment was made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 139 CPC authorizes oaths on affidavits to be administered by any court or magistrate; any notary appointed under the Notaries Act, 1952; any officer or other person whom a high court may appoint in this behalf; or any officer appointed by any other court that the state government has generally or specially empowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many routine subordinate-court affidavits, therefore, either office may suffice\u2014the difficulty arises precisely where the affidavit is destined for a forum or a purpose the Oath Commissioner was never appointed to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-iv-the-comparative-picture\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IV_The_Comparative_Picture\"><\/span>IV. The Comparative Picture<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Parameter<\/th><th>Notary Public<\/th><th>Oath Commissioner<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Governing statute<\/td><td>Notaries Act, 1952 (Central Act)<\/td><td>CPC, 1908 (s.139) \/ CrPC, 1973 (s.297) \/ Oaths Act, 1969 (s.3)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Appointing authority<\/td><td>Central or State Government (s.3, Notaries Act)<\/td><td>High Court (or Sessions Court under CrPC), for a defined purpose\/area<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scope of function<\/td><td>Broad: attestation, authentication, oaths, affidavits, translations, cross-border instruments (s.8)<\/td><td>Narrow: administering oath\/affirmation on affidavits for judicial proceedings only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Non-judicial affidavits<\/td><td>Competent<\/td><td>Not competent (<em>Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, AIR 2008 MP 168)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Instruments for use abroad<\/td><td>Competent under s.8(1)(f)-(g)<\/td><td>Not competent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Essential formality<\/td><td>Signature + official seal (s.8(2))\u2014mandatory<\/td><td>Signature + rubber stamp under High Court rules<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Register of acts<\/td><td>Mandatory (Rule 11(2), Notaries Rules, 1956)<\/td><td>Prescribed under local Oath Commissioner Rules<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Evidentiary presumption<\/td><td>s.85, Evidence Act (for powers of attorney)<\/td><td>No equivalent statutory presumption<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-v-judicial-pronouncements\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"V_Judicial_Pronouncements\"><\/span>V. Judicial Pronouncements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are arranged to build a single, cumulative argument: from the evidentiary weight courts give to notarization to the judicially drawn outer limit of an Oath Commissioner&#8217;s authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-a-the-evidentiary-presumption-attaching-to-notarization\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_The_Evidentiary_Presumption_Attaching_to_Notarization\"><\/span>A. The Evidentiary Presumption Attaching to Notarization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-jugraj-singh-v-jaswant-singh-1970-2-scc-386-air-1971-sc-761\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jugraj_Singh_v_Jaswant_Singh_1970_2_SCC_386_AIR_1971_SC_761\"><\/span><em>Jugraj Singh v. Jaswant Singh<\/em> (1970) 2 SCC 386 : AIR 1971 SC 761<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court invoked Section 85 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, to uphold a power of attorney authenticated before a Notary Public in California, holding that there is a presumption of regularity of official acts and that the Notary must be taken to have satisfied himself, in the discharge of his duty, that the executant was the proper person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This presumption of due execution and authentication attaches specifically to instruments passed before a notary\u2014it has no statutory counterpart for an oath commissioner&#8217;s attestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-wali-mohammad-chaudhari-v-jamal-uddin-chaudhari-air-1950-all-524\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wali_Mohammad_Chaudhari_v_Jamal_Uddin_Chaudhari_AIR_1950_All_524\"><\/span><em>Wali Mohammad Chaudhari v. Jamal Uddin Chaudhari<\/em> AIR 1950 All 524<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cited with approval in <em>Jugraj Singh<\/em>, this decision clarified that \u201cauthentication\u201d under Section 85 is not mere attestation\u2014it requires the authenticating officer to have satisfied himself as to the identity of the executant and the fact of execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A cursory stamp without this element of satisfaction falls short of authentication in the statutory sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-electric-construction-amp-equipment-co-ltd-v-jagjit-electric-works-air-1984-delhi-363\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Electric_Construction_Equipment_Co_Ltd_v_Jagjit_Electric_Works_AIR_1984_Delhi_363\"><\/span><em>Electric Construction &amp; Equipment Co. Ltd. v. Jagjit Electric Works<\/em> AIR 1984 Delhi 363<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Delhi High Court distilled Section 85 into two conjunctive ingredients\u2014execution before and authentication by the Notary Public\u2014holding that both must be independently satisfied; a document notarised after the fact or authenticated without evidence of prior execution before the same officer fails the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-prataprai-trumbaklal-mehta-v-jayant-nemchand-shah-air-1992-bom-149\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prataprai_Trumbaklal_Mehta_v_Jayant_Nemchand_Shah_AIR_1992_Bom_149\"><\/span><em>Prataprai Trumbaklal Mehta v. Jayant Nemchand Shah<\/em> AIR 1992 Bom 149<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bombay High Court held that even a notary&#8217;s certification of a copy as a true copy of the original (\u201ccopy attestation\u201d) under Rule 10(1) of the Notaries Rules, 1956, is itself an official act attracting statutory fees and consequence\u2014underscoring that the notary&#8217;s authority extends well beyond oath-taking into general instrument authentication, a domain the Oath Commissioner does not share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-b-notarized-affidavits-before-courts-and-registries\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"B_Notarized_Affidavits_Before_Courts_and_Registries\"><\/span>B. Notarized Affidavits Before Courts and Registries<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-sajjan-kumar-v-c-l-verma-amp-others-2006-1-alj-73-all-db\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sajjan_Kumar_v_CL_Verma_Others_2006_1_ALJ_73_All_DB\"><\/span><em>Sajjan Kumar v. C.L. Verma &amp; Others<\/em> 2006 (1) ALJ 73 (All) (DB)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court held that Chapter IV of the Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952, does not, expressly or by necessary implication, exclude the presentation of affidavits sworn before Notaries in proceedings before the High Court; it cannot be said that only affidavits sworn before Oath Commissioners appointed by the Chief Justice are acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Court cautioned that a pedantic and technical view on this point would cause great hardship and defeat the very purpose of the Notaries Act, 1952.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-prashant-chandrashekhar-gundawar-v-municipal-council-bhadrawati-air-2009-bombay-144\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prashant_Chandrashekhar_Gundawar_v_Municipal_Council_Bhadrawati_AIR_2009_Bombay_144\"><\/span><em>Prashant Chandrashekhar Gundawar v. Municipal Council, Bhadrawati<\/em> AIR 2009 Bombay 144<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bombay High Court held that an affidavit sworn before a Notary may be accepted by a civil court as examination-in-chief under Order 18 Rule 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 \u2014 confirming the Notary&#8217;s competence to authenticate evidentiary affidavits, not merely procedural ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-c-the-outer-limit-of-an-oath-commissioner-s-authority-the-central-holding\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"C_The_Outer_Limit_of_an_Oath_Commissioners_Authority%E2%80%94The_Central_Holding\"><\/span>C. The Outer Limit of an Oath Commissioner&#8217;s Authority\u2014The Central Holding<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The single most important addition to this treatise is the Full Bench ruling of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in <em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, which confronts\u2014and resolves\u2014the exact question practitioners most often get wrong: whether an Oath Commissioner&#8217;s stamp can ever substitute for a Notary&#8217;s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-smt-manju-v-ghanshyam-air-2008-mp-168-2008-1-mpht-54-full-bench-dipak-misra-amp-s-a-naqvi-jj\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Smt_Manju_v_Ghanshyam_AIR_2008_MP_168_2008_1_MPHT_54_Full_Bench_Dipak_Misra_SA_Naqvi_JJ\"><\/span><em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em> AIR 2008 MP 168: 2008 (1) MPHT 54 (Full Bench, Dipak Misra &amp; S.A. Naqvi, JJ.)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An entire batch of appeals was listed for rectification because limitation-condonation affidavits under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963, had been sworn before an Oath Commissioner instead of a Notary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overruling a contrary single judge view, the Full Bench held that an Oath Commissioner, unlike a Notary, does not possess authority in his own right\u2014his power is not conferred but merely referred and is confined to civil courts under the superintendence of the High Court as defined by the local Commissioner of Oaths Rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Notary, once appointed under the 1952 Act, needs no further empowerment and may administer oaths on all affidavits, including those never destined for any court; an Oath Commissioner is not entitled to administer oath or receive affirmation for a proceeding \u2014 such as before the High Court itself \u2014 for which the High Court has not specifically appointed or empowered him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c(b) A Notary Public may administer an oath or affirmation in regard to all affidavits, that is not only to the affidavits in respect of which an oath or affirmation can be administered by a judge, magistrate, or oath commissioner, but also affidavits that are to be used for purposes other than court\/judicial proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014 <em>Bhagwati Prasad Singhal v. State of M.P.<\/em>, M.P. No. 4033\/1993 (9-5-2005), reproduced in <em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, AIR 2008 MP 168<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Full Bench in <em>Manju<\/em> drew this four-part classification from the earlier Division Bench ruling in <em>Bhagwati Prasad Singhal v. State of Madhya <\/em>Pradesh and used it to hold, in terms, that the width of a notary&#8217;s competence and the narrowness of an oath commissioner are not matters of local convention but of statutory design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It further distinguished the Constitution Bench decision in <em>Kamal Narain Sarma v. Dwarka Prasad <\/em>Mishra\u2014where the Supreme Court had excused an election affidavit sworn before a District Court clerk holding a Section 139(c) commission, on the footing that the specific election rule in issue imposed no restriction on the kind of Commissioner of Oaths required\u2014on the ground that where a High Court has, as Madhya Pradesh had, framed rules expressly confining \u201cCourt\u201d to civil courts under its superintendence, that self-imposed limitation controls and cannot be read down by analogy to a differently worded rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-rambhuwan-prasad-upadhyaya-v-state-of-m-p-w-p-no-1945-1998-m-p-high-court-d-b\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rambhuwan_Prasad_Upadhyaya_v_State_of_MP_WP_No_19451998_MP_High_Court_DB\"><\/span><em>Rambhuwan Prasad Upadhyaya v. State of M.P.<\/em> W.P. No. 1945\/1998 (M.P. High Court, D.B.)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reproduced within <em>Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, this ruling held that the Commissioner of Oaths Rules, 1976 \u2014 framed under Section 139 CPC and defining \u201cCourt\u201d as only a civil court under the High Court&#8217;s superintendence \u2014 do not apply to writ proceedings under Article 226 of the Constitution at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bench separately flagged, as a matter requiring administrative review, that a fee-funded, renewable Oath Commissioner appointment system creates a structural risk of monopoly and corrupt practice among incumbents, a caution of continuing relevance wherever such rules remain in force unreformed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-vi-key-practical-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VI_Key_Practical_Takeaways\"><\/span>VI. Key Practical Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Not every affidavit requires notarisation<\/strong> \u2014 the requirement is set by the specific statute, court rule, or receiving authority, not by habit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A notary&#8217;s competence is general<\/strong>: it extends to affidavits for judicial use and to instruments having nothing to do with any court, including those intended for use abroad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An Oath Commissioner&#8217;s competence is specific and referred, not inherent<\/strong>: per <em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em>, it is confined to the judicial proceedings and the courts, for which the appointing High Court has actually empowered that individual.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The official seal is not <\/strong>optional\u2014under Section 8(2) of the Notaries Act, 1952, no act is a notarial act without the notary&#8217;s signature and official seal, entered in the Rule 11(2) register.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A notary&#8217;s authentication of a power of attorney carries the statutory presumption of due execution under Section 85 of the Evidence Act<\/strong>; an oath commissioner&#8217;s attestation carries no equivalent presumption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Before filing, verify the exact form of attestation<\/strong> the receiving forum\u2014court, registry, bank, or foreign consulate\u2014actually demands; re-execution after rejection is avoidable with five minutes of diligence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-vii-citation-table\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VII_Citation_Table\"><\/span>VII. Citation Table<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Case \/ Authority<\/th><th>Citation \/ Reference<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Jugraj Singh v. Jaswant Singh<\/em><\/td><td>(1970) 2 SCC 386: AIR 1971 SC 761<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Wali Mohammad Chaudhari v. Jamal Uddin Chaudhari<\/em><\/td><td>AIR 1950 All 524<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Electric Construction &amp; Equipment Co. Ltd. v. Jagjit Electric Works<\/em><\/td><td>AIR 1984 Delhi 363<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Prataprai Trumbaklal Mehta v. Jayant Nemchand Shah<\/em><\/td><td>AIR 1992 Bom 149<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rule 10(1), Notaries Rules, 1956<\/td><td>Fee point and \u201ccopy attestation is an official act.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Sajjan Kumar v. C.L. Verma &amp; Others<\/em><\/td><td>2006 (1) ALJ 73 (All) (DB)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Prashant Chandrashekhar Gundawar v. Municipal Council, Bhadrawati<\/em><\/td><td>LAWS(BOM)-2009-4-182, decided 02-04-2009<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em><\/td><td>AIR 2008 MP 168:2008 (1) MPHT 54 (Full Bench)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Bhagwati Prasad Singhal v. State of Madhya Pradesh<\/em><\/td><td>MP No. 4033\/1993 decided on 9-5-2005; reported in 2005 (3) Jab LJ 166<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Kamal Narain Sarma v. Dwarka Prasad Mishra<\/em><\/td><td>Constitution Bench, SC, 1966 SCR (1) 478, AIR 1966 SUPREME COURT 436<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Rambhuwan Prasad Upadhyaya and Anr. v. State of M.P. and Ors.<\/em><\/td><td>Writ Petition No. 1945\/1998<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-viii-conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VIII_Conclusion\"><\/span>VIII. Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The notary and the oath commissioner occupy complementary but non-substitutable positions in Indian procedural law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Notary, governed by a dedicated central statute and armed with the Section 85 evidentiary presumption, functions as a general-purpose authenticating officer whose acts are recognized across courts, registries, and\u2014for cross-border instruments\u2014foreign jurisdictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Oath Commissioner, a creature of the CPC, the CrPC, and High Court rules, exists to facilitate the solemnization of affidavits for the judicial proceedings, and only the judicial proceedings, for which the appointing High Court has actually conferred that authority\u2014a limit the Full Bench in <em>Smt. Manju v. Ghanshyam<\/em> has now stated in terms that leave little room for the \u201cpedantic technicality\u201d courts elsewhere have been asked, and have declined, to overlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding this distinction\u2014and verifying it against the receiving authority&#8217;s actual requirement before the document leaves the chamber\u2014remains the single cheapest safeguard against an otherwise costly re-execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links yoast-seo-related-links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/name-change-affidavit-format\/\">Name Change Affidavit Format<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/article-66-of-the-indian-constitution-electoral-process-for-the-vice-president-of-india\/\">Article 66 of the Indian Constitution: Electoral Process for the Vice President of India<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/doctrine-of-notional-extension-and-employer-liability-leela-bai-v-seema-chouhan\/\">Doctrine of Notional Extension and Employer Liability: A Case Analysis of Leela Bai v. Seema Chouhan<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/supreme-court-on-proof-of-wills-sardari-lal-2026-explained\/\">Supreme Court on Proof of Wills: Sardari Lal (2026) Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/supreme-court-clarifies-section-68-evidence-act-registered-sale-deeds-need-no-attesting-witness-r-veronica-2026-insc-703\/\">Supreme Court Clarifies Section 68 Evidence Act: Registered Sale Deeds Need No Attesting Witness | R. Veronica (2026 INSC 703)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Chamber Treatise on Attestation, Authentication, and Evidentiary Value Under Indian Law I. Introduction: The Trap Beneath a Familiar Ritual Few procedural errors are as quietly costly as attesting a document before the wrong official. In everyday practice, a party walks up to a table outside a court complex, a rubber stamp descends upon the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":32337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[1008,28],"class_list":["post-32186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-civil-law","tag-civil-law","tag-top-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.4 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Notary vs. Oath Commissioner in India: Powers, Affidavit Rules &amp; 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