The e-signature working group has the following objectives:

• Produce a list of use cases where e-Signatures could be used:
  • Detail if signatures are typically witnessed today. If so, are relatives excluded.
  • Determine if there are use cases where a qualified certificate may suffice, rather than a witness being required.
  • Determine if they leverage countersignatures (e.g. from IFAs) confirming the counter signatory has done appropriate due diligence and risk assessment on the signee. The counter signatory is not a legal witness in this respect.
• Map use cases against types of signature.
• Establish how we create qualified eSignatures in the UK
  • Can the UK Trust Framework be a nationally recognised identification method and include robust non-face to face options for QES creation, for example by leveraging a Digital ID of an appropriate level of assurance?
  • Authenticators such as card readers, which are expensive and may create a commercial barrier in terms of adoption might be needed. Can cheaper, more convenient biometric authenticators that have the same strength in PSD2 for instance be leveraged?
• Help the UK government team with:
  • the definition of the use of e-Signatures in the UK Trust Framework
  • understand the scope and opportunity for e-Signature use.

This working group is run in collaboration with TISA.