The Registry
The Department keeps a public record, and the public may respond to it in two ways.
To mark a certificate as Witnessed is to acknowledge formally that the matter has been seen and entered upon the public record. To declare yourself Likewise Aggrieved is to state that the same, or a substantially similar, matter has also happened to you.
These are the only two public responses the Department accepts. There is no commentary, and there are no replies.
Bearing Witness is an act of recognition rather than agreement or personal observation. It records that another member of the public has seen the matter and acknowledged that it stands upon the record. The Department records each witness once, and the count appears upon the instrument.
A declaration of Likewise Aggrieved is a stronger and narrower thing. It states upon the record that the declarant has endured the same circumstance.
It is a declaration of shared experience rather than a general expression of approval, and the Department treats it accordingly.
The Department does not facilitate commentary or debate upon issued instruments. A claimant who brings forward a small indignity is entitled to have it received rather than assessed. Opening the record to discussion would place the claimant in the position of defending the matter, which is the opposite of acknowledgement.
A claimant’s file is either open to public inspection or restricted. When open, eligible certificates may appear in the Public Registry and recent filings may appear upon the Bulletin. When restricted, the instruments remain upon the Personal File without public display. The setting applies to the whole file and may be changed at any time.
An institution of Everyday Arc