The Society of Notaries may refuse to issue a practising certificate to an applicant on specified grounds.
Notaries Public (Grounds for Refusal to Issue Practising Certificate) Rules(Cap. 159, section 73D)(Enacting provision omitted—E.R. 2 of 2018) [30 June 2005] L.N. 60 of 2005(Format changes—E.R. 2 of 2018) 1. (Omitted as spent—E.R. 2 of 2018) 2. Grounds for refusal to issue practising certificate (1) The grounds on which the Society of Notaries may refuse to issue a practising certificate to an applicant are the following—(a) that the application does not comply with section 2 of the Notaries Public (Practising Certificate) Rules (Cap. 159, sub. leg. AG);(b) that in the opinion of the Society, the applicant—(i) has conducted himself in a manner that is unbecoming of a notary public; or(ii) is unfit to practise as a notary public.(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1)(b), an applicant may be regarded as having conducted himself in a manner that is unbecoming of a notary public or as being unfit to practise as a notary public if—(a) the applicant has been suspended from practising either as a notary public or as a solicitor;(b) the applicant is entitled to practise the law of a foreign jurisdiction, but he has been suspended from so practising;(c) the applicant has been convicted in Hong Kong or elsewhere of an offence involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude;(d) the applicant has knowingly provided to the Society of Notaries false or misleading information in relation to the application; or(e) the applicant suffers or appears to suffer from a mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Ordinance (Cap. 136).