Conclusion

In 1948, the Quebec notarial profession was one of the founders of the International Union of Latin Notaries, a voluntary association with branches on four of the five continents.

Sixty-two countries are members, i.e. all Western European countries (except Denmark and England), Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, all South American countries, Japan, Vietnam, and four African countries. Many others have applied for admission: China, Russia, the Ukraine, Indonesia, and others. In 1985, Quebec was invited by the government of the People's Republic of China to help establish the Chinese notarial profession and is currently sponsoring its admission into the I.U.L.N. Presently, Quebec notaries are helping to establish a Latin notarial profession in the Ukraine. The project is sponsored by the Canadian government, which has participated to the extent of $1 million through a bilateral agreement between the governments of Canada and the Ukraine.

I will end here by adding that the Quebec notarial profession (probably because it has been until very recently a true civil-law island in an Anglo-Saxon sea of common law) is the one notarial organization under the spotlight of the international profession, since with globalization, Latin notaries of other countries are now feeling the pressure of American lawyers' battalions. They urgently need someone to tell them how to survive and develop in a world more and more dominated by American culture in all aspects of life. Now you know who that someone will be!

Footnote

I strongly recommend to those who would like to know more about the Latin notary to read an excellent paper by Notary Pedro A. Malavet in the Hasting International and Comparative Law Review, Spring 1996, entitled: Counsel for the Situation: The Latin Notary, A Historical and Comparative Model.