Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

A notary public office opened in Mongar Monday.

This means the people in eastern districts will no longer have to travel to Thimphu for notarial services.

The office will provide 11 public notarial services incorporated in the G2C—issuance of marriage certificate, single/marital status certificate; closure of accounts and transfer of shares; issue of orders relating to the lost document; attestation of documents for travelling abroad; change of name, child adoption; attestation of agreement, wills, contract and testaments; translation of marriage certificate; issuance of documents relating to the travel of a child; and organ transplant that mandate courts’ approval.

Until now, the district court has been rendering only three services—issuance of marriage certificate, single/marital status certificate; and closure of accounts and transfer of shares

The opening of the office is expected to not only to reduce financial burden on individuals but also reduce the workload of the lone notary office in the capital.

A judge said demand for such services was increasing in the region.

A record with Supreme Court shows that Lhuntse registered 131 and 410, Trashiyangtse 79 and 322, Trashigang 126 and 631, Pemagatshel, 66 and 273, Samdrupjongkhar 140 and 325, and Mongar with 712 and 70 petitions for notarial services in the years 2016 and 2017 respectively.

A court-annexed mediation unit was also inaugurated in line with the order issued by the chief justice.

Lam Neten of Mongar Dratshang, Ngawang Tenzin, inaugurated the unit. All these developments are expected to improve access to justice offer alternative adversarial litigation in the judiciary system.