The common law rule which required that a deed made by a private individual had to be sealed to be validly executed was finally abolished in 1989 by the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. The Act implemented recommendations made by the Law Commission of England and Wales in their 1987 report "Deeds and Escrows" and replaced seals with the requirements that the document had to explicitly state that it was being executed as a deed, and had to be witnessed.