Indian Newslink August 1, 2015 Edition

HOMELINKIndian Notary Public makes us proudVenkat RamanIt was a moment of justifiablepride for young lawyer FarahKhan, her colleagues andfamily when she was swornin recently as a Notary Publicby Judge Dawson in a privateceremony at the High Court ofAuckland.As well as being the firstwoman of Indian origin, shealso became the youngest to beappointed to the public office.According to availableinformation, New Zealandaccounts for only 160 NotariesPublic, of who Auckland claimsa share of 65. There are only fourfemale Notaries Public in theAuckland region including Farah.The significanceThe 31-year-old lawyer is thedaughter of Mohammed FaiyamKhan, Principal of Khan &Associates and a proud mother.She has been a Partner at the firmsince the past six years, followingher qualification as a law degreegraduate from the University ofAuckland in 2005.The Notary status wasappointed by the Archbishop ofCanterbury based in England.Documents attested by aNotary Public gain internationalrecognition with the seal of thelaw firm carry the signature ofthe person appointed thus andthe Seal of the Lawyer.“Any document that needsacknowledgement in anothercountry requires the seal andsignature of a Notary Public.Other tasks undertaken byNotaries Public includewitnessing signatures on legaldocuments, administering oathsand certifying the authenticity oflegal documents for internationalpurposes,” she said.The differenceWhat is the difference betweena Justice of the Peace (JP) and aNotary Public?According to Farah, a NotaryPublic provides some similarservices to JPs, although onlyqualified and experienced seniorFarah Khansolicitors are able to becomeNotaries Public.“Their services can thereforebe more specialised and theseare usually provided for a fee. ANotary Public in New Zealandmust have at least 10 years ofLegal experience as a Lawyer andat least five years as a Principal orPartner of a Law Firm. They mustalso be of impeccable characterand be someone who is wellrespected in the community inwhich they intend on providingNotarial Services,” she said.“The selection process isrigorous. Every applicant mustprovide references and signedrecommendations by at least 25professionals with a good standingin the business community.The New Zealand Society ofNotaries and the New ZealandLaw Society must approve eachapplication,” Farah said.Diverse interestsKhan & Associates, whichwas established 21 years ago,represents a growing numberof clients of varied ethnicities.However, a majority of them arefrom India, Fiji, Pacific Islands,the Middle East and the Far East.“Our clients have a vast rangeof interests predominately inLand, Property and Business intheir home countries and are oftenin need of the services of a NotaryPublic. A large percentage of ourclientele are from non-Englishspeaking backgrounds andtherefore, they are comfortabledealing with our firm wherethere is a range of written andspoken languages includingEnglish, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabiand Mandarin,” Farah said.She said that the IndianNewslink Sir Anand SatyanandLecture held on Monday, July 27,2015 at Pullman Hotel Auckland(see various reports in this issue)was an eye-opener.“The Lecture, with ‘The Roleof Women in Governance wasinspiring and made me realisethat women create their own glassceiling and therefore short-changethemselves in life. I am proud ofbeing a woman of Indian originand heritage, fulfilling my role asa daughter, wife, mother, lawyerand now a Notary Public. I amaware that not all women can holdsuch varied roles, which motivatesme to fare better in each of thesefunctions,” Farah saidIndian Newslink August 1, 20155KPMG is a proudsponsor of the IndianBusiness Awards 2015New Zealand’s Indian business communityis a vital part of our economy and theseawards recognise – and celebrate – thesuccesses of our New Zealand-basedIndian businesses and business leaders.This year, KPMG is sponsor for the‘Business Excellence in ICT’ category.kpmg.com/nzkpmgnzkpmgnz© 2015 KPMG, a New Zealand partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated withKPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. The KPMG name, logo and “cuttingthrough complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International Cooperative. 01388