An Act to amend the Documentary Evidence Act 1868, and other enactments relating to the evidence of documents by means of copies printed by the Government Printers.
[19th June 1882]F1
Textual Amendments
F1Preamble omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1898 (c. 22)
Commencement Information
I1Act wholly in force at Royal Assent
This Act may be cited as the Documentary Evidence Act 1882.
Where any enactment, whether passed before or after the passing of this Act, provides that a copy of any Act of Parliament, proclamation, order, regulation, rule, warrant, circular, list, gazette, or document shall be conclusive evidence, or be evidence, or have any other effect, when purporting to be printed by the Government Printer, or the Queen’s Printer, [F2or the Queen’s Printer for Scotland,]or a printer authorised by Her Majesty, or otherwise under Her Majesty’s authority, whatever may be the precise expression used, such copy shall also be conclusive evidence, or evidence, or have the said effect (as the case may be) if it purports to be printed under the superintendence or authority of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Textual Amendments
F2Words in S. 2 inserted (6.5.1999) by S.I. 1999/1042, art. 3, Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 3
If any person prints any copy of any Act, proclamation, order, regulation, royal warrant, circular, list, gazette, or document which falsely purports to have been printed under the superintendence or authority of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, or tenders in evidence any copy which falsely purports to have been printed as aforesaid, knowing that the same was not so printed, he shall be guilty of felony, and shall, on conviction, be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding seven years, or to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding two years, . . . . . . F4]
Textual Amendments
F3S. 3 repealed (E.W., N.I.) (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I GroupI
F4Words omitted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), s. 1(2) and Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), s. 221(2) and repealed by Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (c. 14), s. 1(2)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1References to penal servitude to be construed as references to imprisonment: Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), s. 1(1), Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), s. 221(1) and Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 (c. 14), s. 1(1)
The M1Documentary Evidence Act 1868, as amended by this Act, shall apply to proclamations, orders, and regulations issued by the Lord Lieutenant, either alone or acting with the advice of the Privy Council in Ireland, as fully as it applies to proclamations, orders, and regulations issued by Her Majesty.
In the same Act, the term “the Privy Council” shall include the Privy Council in Ireland, or any committee thereof.
In the same Act, and in this Act, the term “the Government Printer” shall include any printer to Her Majesty in Ireland and any printer printing in Ireland under the superintendence or authority of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C2Reference to the Lord Lieutenant to be construed as reference to the Secretary of State: Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act 1922 (Session 2) (13 Geo. 5 Sess. 2 c. 2), Sch. 1 para. 1(1) and Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (c. 36), Sch. 5 para. 4(1)
C3References to Privy Council in Ireland to be construed as references to Privy Council of Northern Ireland: Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act 1922 (Session 2) (13 Geo. 5 Sess. 2 c. 2), Sch. 1 para. 2(1); no further appointments to be made to Privy Council: Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 (c. 36), s. 32(3)
C4References to Government Printer to be construed as references to officer appointed to print the Acts of Parliament of Northern Ireland: S.R. & O. 1922/183 (Rev. XVI, p. 991: 1922, p. 718), art. 39
C5References to Ireland to be construed as exclusive of Republic of Ireland: S.R. & O. 1923/405 (Rev. X, p. 298: 1923, p. 400), art. 2
Marginal Citations