=Where the analogy holds===

In Canadian law, a secure electronic signature can be used (most) everywhere a notarized signature or Minister's signature is required. In other words, this specific form of electronic signature is considered as strong as the strongest form of "ink-and-paper" signature. (The PIPEDA S-E-S regulations can only be satisfied with digital signatures.)

Why do we care? Because there are places where the analogy isn't an analogy, it's a homology: Present a notarized signature on a paper document and a secure electronic signature on the homologous electronic document to a Canadian judge and the judge will likely conclude that for legal purposes they are they same signatures and the same documents. Neither has any greater or lesser standing that the other.

And this needs to be borne in mind when this page is rewritten, especially when the section on legality is rewritten.

Think of it this way: For anyone other than an autograph hound, a signature is of interest for its legal value. Ultimately, the same is true of digital signatures. The technology may be interesting, but, ultimately, the reason we want to get the technology (and procedures and policy) right is so that these things stand up in a court of law.

Perhaps the page needs to be broken into two overall sections: Technology (just the facts) and legality (with no overall content but references to various jurisdictions.

Alternatively, remove any subjective or legal content, and make reference to appropriate pages.

For example, repudiation is not a fact, it is a legal matter.

  

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