ratifiedby

Ratifiedby is a term commonly encountered as a field label or data element rather than a standalone legal concept. In many legal and governmental data sets, ratifiedby identifies the entity that performed the act of ratification for a treaty, constitutional amendment, charter, or other instrument. The value typically names a state, a legislative body, or another competent authority empowered to approve the instrument.

In practice, ratification is the formal approval that completes the treaty-making process after signature. The ratifiedby element indicates who or what body granted that approval and on what date, providing a concise record of authority for the instrument’s validity. It is distinct from signing, which is often an initial endorsement, and from accession, which is the act of joining an international obligation after it has already entered into force for other states.

As a data label, ratifiedby is subject to variation in spelling and formatting. Common alternatives include ratified_by, ratifiedBy, or the fully written phrase “ratified by.” In databases or metadata schemas, it is frequently paired with related fields such as ratificationdate, ratificationplace, and instrumentname to form a complete record.

Examples are typically authored as metadata entries, for instance: ratifiedby: Parliament of Canada; date: 1982-04-17. Such entries help users understand the legal authority behind a ratification and support comparability across records.

See also: Ratification, Ratifier, Accession, Signature, Treaty law.