Electronic Commerce
9
Seal
10. (1) Where any law requires a seal to be affixed to a document,
the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document is in the
form of an electronic message, by a digital signature as provided
under the Digital Signature Act 1997.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Minister may, by order
in the Gazette, prescribe any other electronic signature that fulfills
the requirement of affixing a seal in an electronic message.
Witness
11. Where any law requires the signature of a witness on a
document, the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document
is in the form of an electronic message, by an electronic signature
of the witness that complies with the requirements of section
9.
Original
12. (1) Where any law requires any document to be in its original
form, the requirement of the law is fulfilled by a document in
the form of an electronic message if—
(a) there exists a reliable assurance as to the integrity of the
information contained in the electronic message from
the time it is first generated in its final form; and
(b) the electronic message is accessible and intelligible so
as to be usable for subsequent reference.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a)—
(a) the criteria for assessing the integrity of the information
shall be whether the information has remained complete
and unaltered, apart from the addition of any endorsement
or any change which arises in the normal course of
communication, storage and display; and
(b) the standard of reliability required shall be assessed in the
light of the purpose for which the document was generated
and in the light of all other relevant circumstances.