The Supreme Court of Queensland changed the way Grants were accessed by legal practitioners in 2021. Court Grants are signed and sealed electronically and may be downloaded from the Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal (the portal).
Where a solicitor is requested to certify that a facsimile is a true and correct copy of an electronic Grant it would be desirable for the practitioner to use words to the following effect:
“I XX hereby certify as true and correct this copy of the engrossed electronic Probate/Grant etc made by the Supreme Court of Queensland on [practitioner to specify the date] and issued from the registry at [wherever the registry is location eg. Brisbane]. The engrossed electronic order was accessed by me through the Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal. [the practitioner to specify the date of access].
Day xx Month xx of 20xx
[signature of practitioner]”
It should be noted that certification may need to refer to the number of pages of the grant that has been printed.
Practitioners should also note that as from the 25 November 2024, the portal now provides an access code to applicants which allows them to view the electronic Grant issued. The applicant will receive a unique access code that permits a person to access and view the original electronic grant and compare with a copy. This access code can be forwarded to other organisations who may wish to also verify the copy of the grant against the original electronic grant. The online services portal and the courts website will display an option ‘Document Verification’.
QLS Ethics and Practice Centre
Updated 19 December 2024