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Wills Act 1968
35Application of amendments and provisions
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35 Application of amendments and provisions
(1) The provisions set out in the table, column 2 as amended or inserted
by the Wills (Amendment) Act 1989 (the 1989 amendment) apply
only in relation to wills made or republished after 24 March 1989.
(2) The provisions set out in the table, column 3 as amended or inserted
by the Wills (Amendment) Act 1991 (the 1991 amendment) apply
only in relation to wills taking effect after 7 November 1991.
Table Table of provisions amended or inserted
column 1
item
column 2
provision amended
or inserted by the
1989 amendment
column 3
provision amended or inserted by the
1991 amendment
1 section 9
2 section 11
3 section 11A
4 section 12
5 section 12A
6 section 12B
7 section 14A
8 section 15
9 section 20
10 section 20A
11 section 30A
12 section 31
13 section 31A
14 section 31B
15 section 31C
Annex to Convention providing a Uniform Law on the Form of an
International Will 1973
Schedule 1
R22
23/02/26
Wills Act 1968
Effective: 23/02/26
page 45
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
Schedule 1 Annex to Convention providing
a Uniform Law on the Form of
an International Will 1973
(see s 16K)
Article 1
1. A will shall be valid as regards form, irrespective particularly of the
place where it is made, of the location of the assets and of the
nationality, domicile or residence of the testator, if it is made in the form
of an international will complying with the provisions set out in
Articles 2 to 5 hereinafter.
2. The invalidity of the will as an international will shall not affect its
formal validity as a will of another kind.
Article 2
This law shall not apply to the form of testamentary dispositions made
by two or more persons in one instrument.
Article 3
1. The will shall be made in writing.
2. It need not be written by the testator himself.
3. It may be written in any language, by hand or by any other means.
Article 4
1. The testator shall declare in the presence of two witnesses and of a
person authorized to act in connection with international wills that the
document is his will and that he knows the contents thereof.
2. The testator need not inform the witnesses, or the authorized person, of
the contents of the will.
Schedule 1 Annex to Convention providing a Uniform Law on the Form of an
International Will 1973
page 46 Wills Act 1968
Effective: 23/02/26
R22
23/02/26
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
Article 5
1. In the presence of the witnesses and of the authorized person, the
testator shall sign the will or, if he has previously signed it, shall
acknowledge his signature.
2. When the testator is unable to sign, he shall indicate the reason therefor
to the authorized person who shall make note of this on the will.
Moreover, the testator may be authorized by the law under which the
authorized person was designated to direct another person to sign on his
behalf.
3. The witnesses and the authorized person shall there and then attest the
will by signing in the presence of the testator.
Article 6
1. The signatures shall be placed at the end of the will.
2. If the will consists of several sheets, each sheet shall be signed by the
testator or, if he is unable to sign, by the person signing on his behalf or,
if there is no such person, by the authorized person. In addition, each
sheet shall be numbered.
Article 7
1. The date of the will shall be the date of its signature by the authorized
person.
2. This date shall be noted at the end of the will by the authorized person.
Article 8
In the absence of any mandatory rule pertaining to the safekeeping of
the will, the authorized person shall ask the testator whether he wishes
to make a declaration concerning the safekeeping of his will. If so and at
the express request of the testator the place where he intends to have his
will kept shall be mentioned in the certificate provided for in Article 9.
Annex to Convention providing a Uniform Law on the Form of an
International Will 1973
Schedule 1
R22
23/02/26
Wills Act 1968
Effective: 23/02/26
page 47
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
Article 9
The authorized person shall attach to the will a certificate in the form
prescribed in Article 10 establishing that the obligations of this law have
been complied with.
Article 10
The certificate drawn up by the authorized person shall be in the
following form or in a substantially similar form:
CERTIFICATE
(Convention of October 26, 1973)
1. I, .................................................. (name, address and capacity), a person
authorized to act in connection with international wills
2. Certify that on ............................. (date) at ............................. (place)
3. (testator).................................................. (name, address, date and place
of birth) in my presence and that of the witnesses
4. (a)............................................... (name, address, date and place of birth)
(b)............................................... (name, address, date and place of birth)
has declared that the attached document is his will and that he knows the
contents thereof.
5. I furthermore certify that:
6. (a) in my presence and in that of the witnesses
(1) the testator has signed the will or has acknowledged his signature
previously affixed.
*(2) following a declaration of the testator stating that he was unable to
sign his will for the following reason.....................................................
—I have mentioned this declaration on the will
*—the signature has been affixed by............................. (name, address)