allkirjastajat

Allkirjastajad, or signatories, are individuals or organizations that sign a document to indicate consent or commitment. Signing creates a legal link between the parties and binds them to the terms of the document, subject to applicable law. Signatories can be natural persons acting in their own capacity or on behalf of a company or organization, typically under a power of attorney, corporate authorization, or internal procedures.

Signatures may be handwritten or electronic. Under the European Union’s eIDAS regulation, there are several levels: simple electronic signature, advanced electronic signature, and qualified electronic signature. A qualified electronic signature has equivalent legal effect to a handwritten signature in many jurisdictions. Electronic signatures rely on digital certificates and identity verification, with trusted service providers enabling validation and secure signing.

In corporate and administrative practice, documents are often signed by authorized signatories—persons empowered to bind the organization. The scope of authority is set by governance documents or powers of attorney. In some cases, signatures may be witnessed or notarized to ensure authenticity or to comply with formal requirements for certain documents.

Internationally, signatures on treaties or agreements indicate the consent of the signatories; for cross-border documents, additional steps such as apostilles or legalization may be required for recognition abroad.