Social Distancing Need Not Bring Business To A Halt

As Italy yesterday overtook China as the global epicentre of deaths owing to the spread of COVID-19, more and more limitations are imposed on our movements and our direct, physical interaction with others.  In the average day to day life of the citizenry, the limitations on physical contact are difficult to bear, especially where we are unable to see loved ones for extended periods of time and, where we do come across friends and family while we continue to be out and about, when we are unable to express our affection the way we always have.

In the legal context, the limitation on physical interaction leads to other, more obscure but no less important, practical difficulties.  The execution of deeds and other contracts are often, whether by operation of law or by agreement, required to be conducted in person and/or witnessed by counter signatories in order to attract the full force of the document's legally binding nature.  In this context, as in so many