Electronic Execution Of Documents – Industry Working Group Final Report

The Industry Working Group on electronic execution (IWG) has published its Final Report which contains recommendations to promote and facilitate the electronic execution of documents.

The IWG, a multi-disciplinary group of business, legal and technical experts, was established by the Government in the Spring of 2021 following the Law Commission's 2019 report on the Electronic Execution of Documents. The Law Commission had concluded that e-signatures were valid for the vast majority of business transactions and legal processes, but recognised that uncertainties regarding the mechanics of executing documents electronically were having a potential impact on the use of electronic signatures. It therefore recommended that the IWG produce best practice guidelines and make proposals for further reform. Further information on the Law Commission 2019 report can be found in our blog post here.