Donald Trump and Biden’s pardons

The autopen and the big marker

Letter of the Day
Letter of the Day

Sir, – President Trump has declared, without a legal basis most would suggest, that the presidential pardons issued by former president Joe Biden are invalid as they were signed by a robotic pen. These pens have previously been used by numerous presidents without challenge.

Under the Electronic Transactions Act 1999, electronic signatures are valid in the US, and I am sure that most countries permit them, as I know Australia does.

I have signed legal documents with ink pens in the past but now many documents are signed electronically or with a scanned copy of my signature and they have never been challenged.

I have even tried using the big black marker that President Trump uses but it’s very hard to clean off my computer screen later. – Yours, etc,

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DENNIS FITZGERALD,

Melbourne,

Australia.