Tõestajad

Tõestajad are Estonian terminology for persons who attest, certify, or testify to the truth of a statement or document. The word derives from the verb tõestama, meaning to prove or demonstrate. The plural tõestajad refers to multiple such persons. The term is used in various contexts, ranging from formal legal and administrative settings to everyday language describing someone who provides evidence or verification.

In legal contexts, a tõestaja may be a witness who testifies about facts in a court case, or an official who authenticates documents and signatures. In Estonia, authentication duties are commonly carried out by notaries (notarid) or other designated authorities; the term can also apply to private individuals who certify copies or attest the genuineness of signatures in civil transactions or administrative procedures. An attestation by a tõestaja can give a document greater legal weight, especially for copies of records, contracts, or vital records such as birth or death certificates.

Beyond strictly legal uses, tõestajad appear in archival and genealogical work as people who certify copies of historical materials or verify the authenticity of documents used as evidence. The concept also appears in everyday language to denote someone who provides evidence or testimony about a claim, not always in a formal setting.

Historically, the status and duties of a tõestaja have varied. In medieval and early modern periods, local officials, church clerks, or lay jurists sometimes performed attestations of deeds and land transfers. Today, the role is regulated by law and professional standards.

Related terms include tõend (evidence; certificate), tõestus (authentication; certification), and tunnistus (testimony; certificate).