Constitutional Amendment allows for e-signing of cabinet decrees: Scrive sees symbolic milestone for digitalisation in Sweden and beyond

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The newest amendment to the Swedish constitution makes it possible for cabinet decrees to be signed electronically. Scrive, a Stockholm-based electronic signature and identification solutions provider, sees this decision as a symbolic milestone towards the greater adoption of digitalisation in Sweden and beyond.

"Statutes, proposals to the Riksdag, and other Government decisions to be dispatched are only valid when signed by the Prime Minister or another minister on behalf of the Government."

The literal excerpt from Chapter 7, Section 7 of the Swedish Instrument of Government does not sound too exciting at first, but there have been big developments around it lately: On November 23, 2022, it was amended to allow the Prime Minister and other members of the cabinet to sign decrees and other cabinet decisions with a technology-neutral method. When the amendment takes effect on January 1, 2023, the traditional ink-on-paper method can of course still be used, but it makes electronic signatures on cabinet decisions possible and sets the foundation for any future technology of this kind to be included as well, provided that it meets high security standards.

This change to the Constitution follows the recent adoption of a new digital system for drafting and signing judgments in criminal cases, and marks another important step for Sweden towards a more efficient way of conducting government business while maintaining a high level of security. As Mathias Bjerkhaug, Legal Counsel at Scrive, puts it: "The signing of real estate purchasing contracts is one of the only examples of agreements that still must be signed on paper in Sweden. But when the Prime Minister starts e-signing decrees on January 1^st, 2023, it's reasonable to expect that these few exceptions will disappear soon."

About Scrive

A digitalisation leader since 2010, Scrive automates agreements-based business processes with electronic signature and identification solutions. Along the way to becoming the Nordic market leader in e-signing, Scrive became the first to use blockchain technology to secure document integrity. Today, more than 8,000 customers in more than 50 countries rely on Scrive, among them market leaders in their fields such as Pleo and Trustly, to onboard and sign agreements with their customers, partners, and employees. www.scrive.com

Contact:
Sven Kersten-Reichherzer
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