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An eschatocol, or closing protocol, is the final section of a legal or public document, which may include a formulaic sentence of appreciation; the attestation of those responsible for the document, which may be the author, writer, countersigner, principal parties involved, and
witnesses In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
to the enactment or the subscription; or both. It also expresses the context of the documentation of the action described therein, i. e.,
enunciation Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compelli ...
of the means of validation and indication of who is responsible to document the act; and the final formulae. Common in European medieval charters, they have been relegated to notarial acts, governmental acts, diplomatic treaties, certificates, and other formal documents.


Contents

Eschatocols usually contain a: * Clause of corroboration that expresses the specific means by which the document is to be or was validated and guaranteed as to its authenticity, which means may be a: ** Jurat, i. e., the oath of witnesses that the contents of the document were sworn to and that the witnesses witnessed its signing; ** Testimonium clause expressing the identities of the signatories and the time and place at which they signed it, e. g., "Sworn to and subscribed before me this 8th day of October, 2009 in the City of Dayton"; ** Attestation clause attesting to the subscription on the document of a signature of attestation, e. g., "THUS DONE AND SIGNED ..."; ** Self-proof clause, typically present only in wills, and consisting of affidavits of the testator and the witnesses that the document was duly executed, which affidavits permit the will to be legally proven without further testimony as to its authenticity; * Dating clause that expresses the time and place of execution by means of stating the: ** Venue, also denominated the "topical date", i. e., the location of the signing of the document; and ** (Chronological) date, i. e., the day, month, and year of the signing of the document; * Subscription, i. e., the signature block, specifically an: ** Attestation clause bearing the signature of the party, witness, or authenticator; or ** Qualification of signature, being a description of the function or office that the signatory exercised in so signing. In notarial writings, the eschatocol is specifically a long form of notarial authentication, i. e. the notarization proper, and takes the form of the final clause of acts in public form or of the certificate at the end of acts in private form, typically to certify the document for use in foreign states. The words of an eschatocol are very formulaic and vary depending on the nature of the notarial act. At least in English, much of what was previously several sentences is condensed into one.


Examples

For acts in public form, typical eschatocols read as follows: *"THUS DONE AND PASSED in the City of (city) aforesaid on the day, month, and year first above written and in the presence of the Witnesses who have hereunto subscribed their names with said Appearer before me, Notary, after due reading of the whole." (
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
) *"THUS DONE, READ AND SIGNED before me, Notary, in the City and State aforesaid on the day of the date hereinabove set forth." (
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
) *"Thus done and signed at (city) on the (day) day of (month) in the year (year) in the presence of the undersigned witnesses." (
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
) *"THUS THE APPEARERS STATE AND DECLARE and after I, Notary, had read over the instrument which I did with tacit agreement of the appearers, the latter ratified the contents hereof, as to all of which certify on this (ordinal day) day of (month) (year)." (
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
) *"Thus done, declared, and protested in due form of law, at the office of me, the said notary, at (location), the day and year first before written." (
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
) *"Thus done and protested, in the city of San Francisco, this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. In testimony whereof, as well as said appearers, as I, the said notary, have subscribed these presents, and I have also caused my seal of office to be hereunto affixed, the day and year last above written." (
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
) *In testimony whereof, I, John Tyler, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made PATENT, and the SEAL of the GENERAL LAND OFFICE to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the CITY OF WASHINGTON, the third day of March in the year of Lord one thousand eight hundred forty three and of the INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES the sixty-seventh. ( Washington, D.C.,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
) *"Thus done and passed at
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
aforesaid in the presence of Captain John Tailor of London, merchant, and Mr. Nicholas Corsellis also of London, merchant, as witnesses hereunto required. In Testimony of which, I, the Notary aforesaid, have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 15th day of November, One thousand seven hundred and thirty nine." (
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
) For those in private form, the following are typical: *"IN FAITH AND TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereto set and subscribed my name and affixed my seal of office at London this (ordinal day) day of (month), (year)." (
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
) *"IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal Notarial at Ottawa this (ordinal day) day of (month), (year)." (
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
) *"SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me, the undersigned authority, this (ordinal day) day of (month), (year). IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and official seal." *"Sworn before me, a solicitor/commissioner for oaths, on this (number) day of (month) (year), and I know the deponent. (Ireland)


See also

*
Act (document) An act is an instrument that records a fact or something that has been said, done, or agreed. Acts generally take the form of legal instruments of writing that have probative value and executory force. They are usually accepted as self-authenti ...
*
Formulary (model documents) Formularies (singular formulary; Latin ''littera(e) formularis, -ares'') are medieval collections of models for the execution of documents (acta), public or private; a space being left for the insertion of names, dates, and circumstances peculiar t ...
* Treaty *
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...
* Preamble


References

{{Reflist Notary Legal documents Legal terminology