Yesterday the Apostille Convention came into force in China. You might think that the Apostille Convention is the simplest and most straightforward of the conventions I write about, and in some ways it is. But because China is a big country that has designated a lot of authorities competent to issue apostilles, implementation is a big administrative task. My sense, having spoken to Chinese lawyers, is that it will take some time for the process to work smoothly throughout the country. Nevertheless, given the alternative (old-fashioned chain legalization), this is a big step forward.

A correspondent in China has sent me a copy of an apostille issued on the first day in Beijing. Of course, n=1 is not a very robust sample, but it’s clear that the system is up and running. I am working to obtain an apostille in one of my cases, where I am seeking recognition of a Chinese judgment, and I’ll report on how it goes once I have the apostille, which I hope will be soon and in any case sooner than if I needed a chain legalization!