REF whosignedwhat.com · 6 November 2026
What a signature on a public document attests to
Signatories, witnesses and decision-makers: signing authority, executive certifications, treaty signature and ratification, assent and electronic signatures.
Authority to sign
- Company signing authority compared Who may sign documents for a company under the UK Companies Act 2006 sections 43 and 44 and Delaware corporate law, and what a buyer may assume.
- Signatory, witness and decision-maker explained The difference between the person who signs a document, the witness who attests the signature and the body that made the decision, with sourced examples.
- What a signature attests to A signature can mean agreement, authentication, certification of accuracy or a decision. How laws in the US, EU, UK and at the UN define each meaning.
Certifications
- Notarisation and the apostille explained What an apostille certifies under the 1961 Hague Convention, how it differs from legalisation and notarisation, and how the UK and US issue them.
- Sarbanes-Oxley sections 302 and 906 certifications explained What a CEO and CFO sign under Sarbanes-Oxley sections 302 and 906, what each statement covers, the penalties, and similar rules in Canada and the EU.
Treaties, laws and e-signatures
- Assent and enactment of legislation compared Who signs a bill into law in the US, UK, Canada and Germany, what that signature attests to, and what happens if the head of state does not sign.
- Electronic signature laws compared How the EU eIDAS Regulation, the US ESIGN Act and laws in the UK, Canada, India and Singapore treat electronic signatures and their tiers.
- Treaty signature versus ratification Why signing a treaty usually does not bind a state, what ratification, acceptance and accession do, and how the Vienna Convention sets the rules.