If you’re looking to understand legal terms, ‘jurat’ is one that you may be come across in court documents and other official documents. Simply put, ‘jurat’ is Latin for ‘under oath.’ It refers to the statement made by someone affirming that their signature is true and authentic and that the material facts stated in a document are true. It typically appears on documents that are to be used as evidence in court proceedings or are required to be officially notarized.
An example of a jurat is commonly seen in an affidavit, which is a written testimony used in court proceedings. In order for the affidavit to be legally binding, the statement must end with the jurors declaration, which includes the appropriate jurat wording. The jurat indicates that the affidavit is both validated by the acknowledger’s signature and submitted under oath.
In a business setting, a jurat is often used in legal contracts to confirm the agreement by a witness or an individual signing on behalf of a corporation. The signing is done under oath, meaning that the signer is making a legal statement that the statements contained in the document they are signing are true. In a word, the purpose of the jurat is to add security and to ensure the validity of the legal document.
Jurat in Action: Business Contracts
A jurat is typically found at the end of a contract that an individual is signing. In this document, the signee affirms the truth and accuracy of anything contained in the document and may also declare that they are signing willingly and with full knowledge. This is done to make sure that the contract is legally binding and that there is an understanding of the terms and conditions.
For example, a company may require employees to sign a contract stating that they will abide by all of the stated rules of the workplace, including confidentiality of the company’s information. In this document, the signee would have to affix their signature and state a jurat at the end of the contract. This indicates that they are signing on under the penalties of perjury, meaning that whatever information they declared is the truth.
Conclusion
Jurat is a Latin word used to reference the statement made in court documents or other official documents affirming that the signature is authentic and true and that the facts stated in the document are true, something that is legally required in order for certain documents to have validity. By adding the jurat to any official document that requires it, not only does it validate the document but also adds security in confirming that any agreement stated in it is legally binding.