QLDIn ForceAct
Powers of Attorney Act 1998
sec.31Meaning of eligible witness
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### sec.31 Meaning of eligible witness
An eligible witness , for a document, is a person who—
except for a document revoking an advance health directive—is a justice, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer; and
justice means a justice of the peace—see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 .
lawyer means an Australian lawyer within the meaning of the Legal Profession Act 2007 —see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 .
is not the person signing the document for the principal; and
is not an attorney of the principal; and
is not a relation of the principal or a relation of an attorney of the principal; and
if the document gives power for a personal matter—is not a paid carer or health provider of the principal; and
for an advance health directive—is not a beneficiary under the principal’s will.
To avoid any doubt, it is declared that a person is not excluded from being an eligible witness merely because the person is an attorney’s employee who is the witness for the document while acting in the ordinary course of employment.
In this section—
attorney , for a document, means—
a person who is an attorney of the principal whether under the document or otherwise; or
if the document is all or part of an enduring document—a person who will be an attorney of the principal under the enduring document.
s 31 amd 2019 No. 9 s 58
(sec.31-ssec.1) An eligible witness , for a document, is a person who— except for a document revoking an advance health directive—is a justice, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer; and justice means a justice of the peace—see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 . lawyer means an Australian lawyer within the meaning of the Legal Profession Act 2007 —see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 . is not the person signing the document for the principal; and is not an attorney of the principal; and is not a relation of the principal or a relation of an attorney of the principal; and if the document gives power for a personal matter—is not a paid carer or health provider of the principal; and for an advance health directive—is not a beneficiary under the principal’s will.
(sec.31-ssec.2) To avoid any doubt, it is declared that a person is not excluded from being an eligible witness merely because the person is an attorney’s employee who is the witness for the document while acting in the ordinary course of employment.
(sec.31-ssec.3) In this section— attorney , for a document, means— a person who is an attorney of the principal whether under the document or otherwise; or if the document is all or part of an enduring document—a person who will be an attorney of the principal under the enduring document.
- (a) except for a document revoking an advance health directive—is a justice, commissioner for declarations, notary public or lawyer; and Note— justice means a justice of the peace—see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 . lawyer means an Australian lawyer within the meaning of the Legal Profession Act 2007 —see the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , schedule 1 .
- (b) is not the person signing the document for the principal; and
- (c) is not an attorney of the principal; and
- (d) is not a relation of the principal or a relation of an attorney of the principal; and
- (e) if the document gives power for a personal matter—is not a paid carer or health provider of the principal; and
- (f) for an advance health directive—is not a beneficiary under the principal’s will.
- (a) a person who is an attorney of the principal whether under the document or otherwise; or
- (b) if the document is all or part of an enduring document—a person who will be an attorney of the principal under the enduring document.