Notarial Practice Course

The UCL Laws Notarial Practice course is designed to enable legally qualified applicants to fulfil the professional stage of the three stages to becoming a Notary Public

A Notary Public is a legal officer of ancient standing. The functions of Notaries include the preparation and execution of legal documents for use abroad, attesting the authenticity of deeds and writings, and protesting bills of exchange. Notaries in England and Wales may also provide any non-contentious legal service, including Conveyancing and Probate activities.

Notaries are admitted and regulated in England and Wales by The Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The process of qualification and appointment as a Notary consists of three stages:

1. Academic Training
   Before commencing the Notarial Practice Course, applicants must hold a valid certificate issued by the Faculty Office exempting them from all 8 modules which comprise the ‘Academic’ stage of training. Applicants will not be able to commence the Notarial Practice Course until a Certificate of Exemption has been granted, although the provider may give a place to an applicant conditional upon obtaining a Certificate of Exemption.
2. Professional Training
   This is a two-year distance learning course, run on the Faculty Office’s behalf by an academic provider, to train candidates in Notarial Practice. The academic provider for the Notarial Practice Course is currently University College, London (UCL).
3. Admission
   Upon successful completion of the Notarial Practice Course applicants will need to apply to the Faculty Office for appointment as a Notary and admission to the Roll of Notaries.

Applying for your Certificate of Exemption

Since applicants cannot commence the Notarial Practice Course until a Certificate of Exemption has been granted, all applicants are encouraged to apply for a Certificate at the earliest possible opportunity.

The Certificate is the single entry requirement for the course and you will need to make an application to the the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Information about Notaries, including a full information pack on the qualification requirements, appointment procedures and the application form for the Certificate of Exemption from the academic stage of qualification required prior to enrolment on the postgraduate stage of training, is available from the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury website.

About the UCL Notarial Course structure

The course is normally completed within two years on a part-time basis, starting in late September of each year, and includes three modules of study:

Year 1 – September to December

Roman Law as an Introduction to Modern Civil Law Systems (“Roman Law”)

Year 1 – January to March

Private International Law

Year 2 – September to March

Notarial Practice

Teaching

The majority of the course is delivered through electronic learning, which allows you to study at home or in the workplace. Your learning is also supported by an introductory workshop and four intensive one-day workshops over the two years of the course. These workshops are held on Saturdays at UCL Laws.

Throughout the course, you will have access to UCL’s Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle), where you can find information about your weekly learning schedules, written assignments, interactive activities, and links to recommended reading and other study materials held on within UCL’s digital library collections.

We estimate that the time commitment to studying for this course is around 10-12 hours per week.

You will be assessed by written examinations, taken at the end of each module.

 

Course Open Day

The next Notarial Practice Course Open Day will be on 16 February 2018. The cost of the open day is £60.

Book your place at the open day

 

Watch the presentations from the February 2017 Notarial Practice Open Day

• Introduction by the Course Director, Dr Ugljesa Grusic (UCL)
• Introducation to Notarial Practice, Christopher Vaughan (Notary Society)
• The Educational Requirements, Stephen Borton (Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• About the UCL Course (Year 1), Dr Ugljesa Grusic (UCL)
• About the UCL Course (Year 2), Iain Rogers (UCL)
• About the Notary Regulators, Stephen Borton (Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• About the Faculty Office, Neil Turpin (Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• About the Faculty Office continued, Stephen Borton (Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• Working as a notary and study on the course, recent graduate Andrew Lindsay
• Open Forum – Questions and Answers

Applying and fees

Download the 2018-20 Course Brochure and Application Form

To apply for this course, please download and complete the application form and return with evidence of your English language proficiency (if applicable), and your Certificate of Exemption from the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury to:

Lisa Penfold
Events & CPD Manager
UCL Laws
Bidborough House, 38-50 Bidborough Street, London WC1H 9BT

APPLICATIONS DEADLINE
Friday 20 July 2018