MOJ introduces people-centered measures to enhance notarial services

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has introduced a set of measures to further enhance the quality and efficiency of notarial services, according to a press conference held by the MOJ on July 3.

The MOJ has deleted 116 kinds of certificate documents required for notarial services regarding 81 matters in 33 categories, including evidence preservation, qualifications, academic degrees, certificates and licenses, and on-site supervision, as well as contracts and agreements. The move aims to ease the burden on people when applying for notarizations by further standardizing and simplifying relevant documents.

The ministry has guided local governments in expanding the scope of their "at-most-one-visit" services for notarial matters, with a focus on such important fields as guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods, optimizing the business environment and protecting intellectual property rights.

A coordinated working mechanism between notarization institutions and consulate certification departments has been established to promote foreign-related notarizations.

Measures have been taken to promote cross-provincial services of some notarial matters. Since the beginning of this year, notary institutions across the country have handled more than 28,000 notary cases through the cross-provincial service.

To provide notarial services for Chinese citizens living abroad, the MOJ has selected 295 notary institutions to conduct overseas remote video notarizations in collaboration with overseas embassies and consulates.

Relevant measures have been taken to guide notary institutions at the county level to set up service sites in public legal service centers and studios at the grassroots level. They have provided convenient notarial services for people through online and offline platforms, so as to provide assistance for notary institutions in remote areas.  

Notarial services have been extensively promoted in rural areas. Over 120,000 contact sites for notary consultation have been set up in public legal services centers and studios in villages and communities, providing more than 460,000 notarial services for local residents.

Furthermore, the MOJ has taken relevant measures to effectively lower the cost of pubic notarization by improving the mechanism for setting notary service prices. It has guided local authorities in implementing price reduction policies to promote equitable sharing access to notarial services.

Since the beginning of this year, notary institutions across the country have provided more than 210,000 pro bono legal services, including over 11,000 will notarizations for the elderly and over 13,000 notary cases related to fee reduction and exemption serving agriculture, rural areas and farmers.