An apostle is the so-called "square stamp" by which a competent court or the Ministry of the Slovak Republic certifies the signature and the stamp shown on the official document, for purposes of using the document in a country which is part of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents dated on 5 October, 1961 (the so-called Hague Convention, or the Apostille Convention, or the Apostille Treaty). This special clause replaces the need for legalization.