CO885-(18-19) — Page 97

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A.D. 1907. DRAFT OF A BILL to facilitate the admission in evidence of statutes passed by the

Legislatures of British Possessions and Protectorates, including Cyprus.

Proof of

British

Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parlia- ment assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

1-(1) Copies of Acts, Ordinances, and other instruments having statutory statutes of force passed, issued, or made (whether before or after the passing of this Act) by possessions or under the authority of the Legislature of any British Possession, if purporting to See 8 & 9 be printed by the Government printer, shall be received in evidence by all Courts Vict. c. 113. of Justice in the United Kingdom without any proof being given that the copies 8. 3.]

were so printed.

[See

31 & 32

Vict. c. 37, 8. 5.]

28 & 29Vict. c. 63.

Short title.

(2) If any person prints any copy of any such Act, Ordinance, or instrument which falsely purports to have been printed by the Government printer, or tenders in evidence any copy of any such Act, Ordinance, or instrument which falsely purports to have been so printed, knowing that it was not so printed, he shall be guilty of felony and on conviction be liable to be sentenced to penal servitude for a period not exceeding five years.

Alternative for subsection (2).

(2) Section four of the Documentary Evidence Act, 1868 (which makes it a felony to forge certain documents or knowingly to tender such documents in evidence) shall extend to the Acts, Ordinances, and other instruments to which this section relates.

(3) In this Act—

"

The expression" Government printer" means, as respects any British Posses- sion, the printer purporting to be the printer authorised to print the Acts, Ordinances, or statutes of the Legislature of that possession, or otherwise to be the Government printer of that possession: The expression "British Possession means any part of His Majesty's dominions exclusive of the United Kingdom, and, where parts of those dominions are under both a central and a local Legislature, shall include both all parts under the central Legislature and each part under a local Legislature.

(4) Nothing in this Act shall affect the Colonial Laws Validity Act, 1865. (5) His Majesty may by Order in Council extend this Act to Cyprus and any British Protectorate, and where so extended this Act shall apply as if Cyprus or the Protectorate were a British Possession, and with such other necessary adaptations as may be made by the Order.

2. This Act may be cited as the Evidence (Colonial Statutes) Act, 1907.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TLC.O.8

885

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

18 PUBLIC

ALLY WI

BE REPA

OFFICE, LONDON ERMISSION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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