(1)A document which purports to be—
(a)a notice or direction given or order made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of a provision of this Act, and
(b)signed by him or on his behalf,
shall be received in evidence and shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been given or made by the Secretary of State.
(2)A document bearing a certificate which—
(a)purports to be signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, and
(b)states that the document is a true copy of a notice or direction given or order made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of a provision of this Act,
shall be evidence (or, in Scotland, sufficient evidence) of the document in legal proceedings.
(3)In subsections (1) and (2) a reference to an order does not include a reference to an order made by statutory instrument.
(4)The M1Documentary Evidence Act 1868 shall apply to an authorisation given in writing by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this Act as it applies to an order made by him.
Marginal Citations