If you need to sign an affidavit, you will need to sign it before, and have it witnessed by:

• a justice of the peace;
• a solicitor; or
• another select number of people authorised by law.

If the affidavit is to be signed overseas, you could also use

• a notary public; or
• an Australian Consular Officer or a British Consular Officer.

If you need to sign a statutory declaration under the NSW Oaths Act such as a statutory declaration for Land and Property Information (the current name of the Land Titles Office) or for the NSW Police, it should also be before one of the above people.

If you need to sign a statutory declaration under the Commonwealth Statutory Declaration Act , you have the choice of many more witnesses. In addition to the people mentioned above you could also have your signing of the declaration witnessed by, among others:

• an Australian licensed and registered:
  • Chiropractor;
  • Dentist;
  • Medical practitioner;
  • Nurse;
  • Optometrist;
  • Pharmacist;
  • Physiotherapist;
  • Psychologist; or
  • Veterinary surgeon;
• a bank employee with 5 or more continuous years of service (a ‘long term employee’);
• the person in charge (or a long term employee) of your local post office;
• a marriage celebrant or minister of religion who is registered to perform marriages in Australia
• an officer in the Australian Defence Force;
• a Chartered Accountant or a Certified Practicing Accountant;
• a member of your state and federal parliament;
• an elected member of your local government Council;
• a long term employee of the government or government authority;
• a police officer; or
• at teacher employed on a full-time basis at a school or tertiary education institution.