The Fugitive Offenders Act.
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A person guilty of the offence of escaping or of attempting to escape, or of aiding or attempting to aid a prisoner to escape, by breach of prison or otherwise, from custody under any warrant issued or endorsed in pursuance of this Act, may be tried in any of the following parts of Her Majesty's Dominions, namely, the part from which the prisoner is being removed, and the part in which the prisoner escapes, and the part in which the offender is found.
Evidence.
29. A Magistrate may take depositions for the purposes of this Act in the absence of a person accused of an offence in like manner as he might take the same if such person were present and accused of the offence before him.
Depositions (whether taken in the absence of the fugitive or otherwise) and warrants, and copies thereof, and official certificates of or judicial documents stating facts, may, if duly authenticated, be received in evidence in proceedings under this Act.
Provided that nothing in this Act shall authorise the reception of any such depositions, copies, certificates, or documents in evidence against a person upon his trial for an offence.
Warrants and depositions, and copies thereof, and official certificates of or judicial documents stating facts, shall be deemed duly authenticated for the purposes of this Act if they are authenticated in manner provided for the time being by law, or if they purport to be signed by or authenticated by the signature of a Judge, Magistrate, or officer of the part of Her Majesty's Dominions in which the same are issued, taken, or made, and are authenticated either by the oath of some witness, or by being sealed with the official seal of a Secretary of State, or with the public seal of a British possession, or with the official seal of a Governor of a British possession, or of a colonial secretary, or of some secretary or minister administering a department of the government of a British possession.
And all Courts and Magistrates shall take judicial notice of every such seal as is in this section mentioned, and shall admit in evidence without further proof the documents authenticated by it.
Miscellaneous.
30. The jurisdiction under Part I of this Act to hear a case and commit a fugitive to prison to await his return shall be exercised,
(1) In England, by a Chief Magistrate of the Metropolitan Police Courts or one of the other Magistrates of the Metropolitan Police Court at Bow Street; and
(2) In Scotland, by the Sheriff or Sheriff Substitute of the county of Edinburgh; and
to exercise of jurisdiction by Magistrates.