298
No. 2 of 1889.
EVIDENCE.
Proof of statutes of British possessions.
7 Edw. 7, c. 16, s. 1.
be proved is a judgment, decree, order, or other judicial proceeding of any court of justice or any consulate in any foreign state or in any British possession, or an affidavit, pleading, or other legal document filed or deposited in any such court or consulate, the authenticated copy to be admissible in evidence must purport either to be sealed with the seal of such court or consulate, or, in the event of such court having no seal, to be signed by the judge or, if there are more judges than one, by any one of the judges of such court, and such judge shall attach to his signature a statement in writing on the said copy that the court of justice whereof he is a judge has no seal; but if any of the aforesaid authenticated copies purport to be sealed or signed as herein before respectively directed, the same shall respectively be admitted in evidence in every case in which the original document could have been received in evidence, without any proof of the seal, where a seal is necessary, or of the signature, or of the truth of the statement attached thereto, where such signature and statement are necessary, or of the judicial character of the person appearing to have made such signature and statement.
23A.-(1) Copies of Acts, Ordinances and statutes passed by the legislature of any British possession, and of orders, regulations, and other instruments issued or made under the authority of any such Act, Ordinance, or statute, if purporting to be printed by the Government printer, shall be received in evidence by all courts in this Colony without any proof being given that the copies were so printed.
(2) Every person who prints any copy or pretended copy of any such Act, Ordinance, statute, order, regulation, or instrument which falsely purports to have been printed by the Government printer, or tenders in evidence any such copy or pretended copy which falsely purports to have been so printed knowing that it was not so printed, shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding twelve months.
(3) In this section, "Government printer" means, as respects any British possession, the printer purporting to be the printer authorized to print the Acts, Ordinances, or statutes of the legislature of that possession, or otherwise to be the Government printer of that possession.
* As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1937.