Article 40 — Authentication

1. 1.

   Acts of State shall be authenticated in the manner prescribed by law and shall bear the Great Seal or other authorised instrument of validation. The Great Seal may be affixed to an instrument bearing the signature of the Sovereign, or may serve in lieu of a handwritten signature, as provided by law or by Sovereign Decree.

2. 2.

   The Great Seal is the principal instrument of State authentication; it shall be kept in the custody of a Keeper of the Great Seal appointed by the Sovereign, and its custody, use, and authorised substitutes (including any Lesser Seal) shall be determined by law or by Sovereign Decree.

3. 3.

   An instrument purporting to be an Act of State is authentic when it bears the prescribed form of validation; certified copies issued by the competent authority are proof of authenticity.

4. 4.

   Unauthorised use, falsification, or counterfeiting of the Great Seal or other validation instruments is an offence as provided by law.

5. 5.

   Authentication requirements may be adapted for secure electronic instruments as provided by law, without diminishing the authority of the Great Seal.