In Ireland must our signature be legible?

Dark Rabbit

Hi,

My wife was filling out some forms for her driving license and was questioned only about her signature. Her name was printed on the form but at the end where her signature was required she signed but was told by the admin person that her signature wasn't clear enough.
2 points I want to clarify:

a. My wife can write perfectly well and puts my own handwriting to shame.
b. I kind of get where the admin person is coming from but is the legibility of my wife's signature such a big deal when it is signed in front of the admin?

I've always wondered where such a case stands legally in Ireland.

Thanks

PS. my wife didn't cause a fuss and acquiesced.

pickarooney

Mod: moved from Creative Writing to Legal Discussion

banie01

Legibility of a signature would be moot once the signature was witnessed surely?
Hence why its still acceptable to "make your mark" and have it appropriately witnessed.
My own signature is fairly illegible apart from initials, its more ak8n to a monogram!

Fred Swanson

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tringle

Mine is a squiggle too and I am very happy with it, it is impossible to copy. Twice I have been questioned on it. Once in the credit union, they informed me that for legal reasons it had the be legible. So now they have what is not my signature but just my name printed, silly really.
Second time was at work, we have to sign time sheets to get paid and a new person was in the office. They sent mine back to me to be signed saying someone had just scribbled on it.

I'd love to know too if it is a legal thing that it has to be legible. When its legible its easy to copy.

GM228

There is no legal requirement to have a legible signature, in fact under common law a signature does not need to your name nor legible, for example it can simply be a mark.,

Basically a signature is whatever writing/markings you nornally used to uniquely identify you.

by8auj6csd3ioq

GM228 wrote: »

There is no legal requirement to have a legible signature, in fact under common law a signature does not need to your name nor legible, for example it can simply be a mark.,

Basically a signature is whatever writing/markings you nornally used to uniquely identify you.

Notbeing smart but what if two people used the same mark?

Fred Swanson

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L1011

My signature is basically a line with a loop. Severe dyspraxia, can't write a letter the same way twice in a sentence so good luck doing anything more complicated for a signature. Driving licence (renewed three weeks ago) has it, passport had it when they transferred it themselves, got a mortgage using it, etc.


Have seen more illegible signatures than clear ones I'd imagine.

hullaballoo

Asshats giving bureaucracy its bad name.

Your signature is your signature, supposedly a unique identifier so that you cannot be impersonated to your detriment. It's not fail-safe but it's one of a number of unique identifiers that can be used to ensure security.

The world is in serious trouble if officialdom has been infiltrated by such idiocy.

Legible signature my arsehole.

GM228

hullaballoo wrote: »

Asshats giving bureaucracy its bad name.

Your signature is your signature, supposedly a unique identifier so that you cannot be impersonated to your detriment. It's not fail-safe but it's one of a number of unique identifiers that can be used to ensure security.

The world is in serious trouble if officialdom has been infiltrated by such idiocy.

Legible signature my arsehole.

Nicely bummed summed up :pac::D

4ensic15

Paisleigh Lively Skullcap wrote: »

Notbeing smart but what if two people used the same mark?

A mark has to be witnessed and the witness must attest that it is the mark of the named person.

Timfy

I wonder if it was just a legibility issue with the equipment. My driving licence was signed on a touch screen panel and that too was initially rejected. Second attempt, identical to my eyes, was fine.

Johnboy1951

maybe 99% of doctors scrips are illegal so

Glass fused light

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

maybe 99% of doctors scrips are illegal so

Naa.... There was a criminal case reported in Scotland a couple of years ago, where the accused stole a script and (edit wrote up a prescription) presented it to the pharmacist. The pharmacist testified that he immediately knew it was fake as he had no problem in reading the handwriting.:eek:

Literally been a decision on this point in the last 3 months.

http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/0/7A73817AB030E1AB8025824700558416

Glass fused light

hullaballoo wrote: »

Asshats giving bureaucracy its bad name.

Your signature is your signature, supposedly a unique identifier so that you cannot be impersonated to your detriment. It's not fail-safe but it's one of a number of unique identifiers that can be used to ensure security.

The world is in serious trouble if officialdom has been infiltrated by such idiocy.

Legible signature my arsehole.

Agreed but please if it's being used to verify a contract where your signature could be one of 60+ such signatures authorising the transaction, pretty please, write your name in block capitals under your signature.

L1011

Glass fused light wrote: »

Naa.... There was a criminal case reported in Scotland a couple of years ago, where the accused stole a script and (edit wrote up a prescription) presented it to the pharmacist. The pharmacist testified that he immediately knew it was fake as he had no problem in reading the handwriting.:eek:

Many years ago when I worked in the medical sector, I pointed out to a pharmacist that I was doing some work for that the top private prescription on his stack was a fake as it was in the templated layout of a different medical records programme than the allegedly prescribing doctor actually used (had been in to them recently for work also). Signature of sorts, albeit a technological one!

Glass fused light

Deleted User wrote: »

Literally been a decision on this point in the last 3 months.

http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/0/7A73817AB030E1AB8025824700558416

So in the OP wife's case an X would suffice on the basis the Admin had verified the person, and she would be willing to confirm she signed.

Fred Swanson

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