Irish digital signatures consultation paper

[Nicholas Bohm]

At 12:05 AM 8/14/1999 +0100, Alan Ramsbottom wrote:

>This page might help:
>
>   http://www.irlgov.ie/tec/communications/signat.htm

Extracts below, my comments [in square brackets].

1	Legislation will be enacted to facilitate the use of electronic
signatures through the establishment of a framework for the authorisation
of bodies to act as nationally accredited Certification Authorities.

[Corresponds to UK Bill, Part I]

2	Certification Authorities will issue certificates which verify the
association between an individual or organisation and an electronic
signature and Certification Authorities will be liable for the accuracy of
such certificates.

[Legislation irrelevant - a mere statement of current legal fact unless a
special liability r=E9gime is proposed, which isn't mentioned.]

3	While it is recognised that the legal recognition of electronic
signatures will ultimately be a matter for the courts, it is proposed to
adopt legislation to minimise uncertainty as to the legal recognition of
electronic signatures certified or issued by accredited Certification
Authorities.=20

[This suggests discrimination in favour of signatures certified by
accredited CAs:  this remains covert in the UK Bill, but could feature in
secondary legislation under clause 8.  Clause 7 remains neutral, if=
 useless.]

4	The legislation will not prohibit, if the market so demands, the
establishment of non-accredited Certification Authorities. The legal
recognition of certificates issued by such authorities and any associated
electronic signatures shall not be precluded.

[Bows to the inevitable, in the form of the coming EU Directive, but its
tone reinforces the prospect of discrimination as mentioned above.]

[So, hardly an e-commerce haven; but at least no Part III.  I dare say
they'll get round to that in some form, though perhaps more sensibly.]

Regards,

Nicholas Bohm

Salkyns, Great Canfield,
Takeley, Bishop's Stortford CM22 6SX, UK

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