657418-1889-Ordinances-1-to-8-assented-to-Dr-J-C-Thomson-registered — Page 23

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH JANUARY, 1889.

15. A witness in any proceedings may be questioned as to whether he has been convicted of any felony or misde- meanour, and, upon being so questioned, if he either denies or does not meet the fact or refuses to answer, it shall be lawful for the cross-examining or opposite party to prove such conviction and in such case and whenever it may be necessary to prove the trial and conviction or acquittal of any person charged with an indictable offence a certificate, record or extract of the conviction containing the substance and effect only (omitting the formal part) and the conviction for such offence, purporting to be signed by the clerk of the Court, or other officer having the custody of the records of the Court where the offender was convicted, or by the deputy of such clerk or officer, shall, upon proof of the identity of the person, be sufficient evidence of the said conviction without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the same. 16. It shall not be necessary in any proceedings to prove by the attesting witness any instrument to the validity of which attestation is not requisite; and such instrument may be proved by admission, or otherwise, as if there had been no attesting witness thereto.

17. Comparison of a disputed writing with any writing proved to the satisfaction of the Court to be genuine shall be permitted to be made by witnesses in any proceedings and such writings, and the evidence of witnesses respecting the same, may be submitted to the Court and jury (if any) as evidence of the genuineness, or otherwise, of the writing in dispute.

18. Where proceedings are taken against any person for having received goods knowing them to be stolen, or for having in his possession stolen property, evidence may be given at any stage of the proceedings that there was found in the possession of such person other property stolen within the preceding period of twelve months, and such evidence may be taken into consideration for the purpose of proving that such person knew the property to be stolen which forms the subject of the proceedings taken against him. Where proceedings are taken against any person for having received goods knowing them to be stolen, or for having in his possession stolen property, and evidence has been given that the stolen property, has been found in his possession, then if such person has within five years immediately preceding been convicted of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty, evidence of such previous 'conviction may be given at any stage of the proceedings, and may be taken into considera- tion for the purpose of proving that the person accused knew the property which was proved to be in his possession to have been stolen; provided that reasonable notice in writing shall have been given of such previous con- viction; and it shall not be necessary for the purposes of this section to charge in the information the previous conviction of the person so accused.

PART III-Documents Admissible.

19. Whenever any book or other document is of such a public nature as to be admissible in evidence on its mere production from the proper custody, and no Statute or Ordi- nance in force in the Colony exists which renders its con- tents provable by means of a copy, any copy thereof or extract therefrom shall be admissible in evidence in the Court provided it be proved to be an examined copy or extract, or provided it purport to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by the officer to whose custody the original is entrusted, and which officer is hereby required to furnish such certified copy or extract to any person ap- plying at a reasonable time for the same, upon payment of a reasonable sum for the same, not exceeding - for every folio of ninety words.

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20. Whenever by any Statute or Ordinance now or here- after to be in force in the Colony any certificate official or public document, or proceeding of any corporation or joint stock or other company or any certified copy of any docu- ment, bye-law, entry in any register or other book or of any other proceeding shall be receiveable in evidence of any particular in the Court or before the Legislative Council of the Colony or any Committee thereof the same shall respectively be admitted in evidence provided they respec- tively purport to be sealed or impressed with a stamp or sealed and signed or signed alone as required or impressed · with a stamp and signed as directed by the respective Statutes or Ordinances made or hereafter to be made without any proof of the seal or stamp where a seal or stamp is necessary

Proof of previous con- victions. (No. 6 of 1855 6. 24, 14 and 15 V. c. 99 s. 13, 17 and

and 18

V. c. 125 s. 25, 28 and 29 V. c. 18 8. 6.

3 of 52. § 7. 34 and 35, V. c. 112 s. 18.)

Attesting witness need not be called except in certain cases. (No. 6 of 1855 s. 25, 17 and 18 V. c. 125 B. 26,

28 and 29 V. c. 18 8. 7.)

Comparison of disputed writing. (No. 6 of 1855

a. 26, 17 and 18 V. c. 125 s. 27, 28 and 29

V. c. 18 s. 8.

Evidence in esses of receiving stolen property. (34 and 35 V. c. 112 a. 19.)

Documents of public nature. (No. 3 of 1852 5. 8, 14 and 15 V. c. 99 s. 14.)

Official docu- ments.

(8 and 9 V. c. 118 s. 1)

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