Validity of Electronic Signatures - A 1 Hour Update with Keith Markham

Introduction

Given the social distancing restrictions currently in place, the signing of documents has become increasingly complicated. One practical way around this is to rely on electronic rather than wet ink signatures but there remains a great deal of confusion as to when this is permitted.

The law on electronic signatures is set out in the common law, the Electronic Communications Act 2000, and also in Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (the eIDAS Regulation), which has had direct applicability in member states from 1 July 2016 and will continue to apply post-Brexit.

This live broadcast session will review the content of the existing common law decisions and statute and will also summarise the Law Society’s Guidance Note and the Law Commission’s provisional conclusions.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• Summary of different types of electronic signatures
• Analysis of relevant case law concerning the usage of electronic signatures
• Admissibility of electronic signatures under s7-8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000
• Definition and effect of ‘electronic signatures’ under the eIDAS Regulation
• Application to different types of contract
• Practical steps to consider

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.