Documentary Evidence Act 1882

1882 CHAPTER 9

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]

WHEREAS by the [31 & 32 Vict. c. 37.] [33 & 34 Vict. c. 75.] [33 & 34 Vict. c. 79.] [34 & 35 Vict. c. 70.] [40 & 41 Vict. c. 21.] [40 & 41 Vict. c. 53.] Documentary Evidence Act, 1868, and enactments applying that Act, divers proclamations, orders, regulations, rules, and other documents may be proved by the production of copies thereof purporting to be printed by the Government Printer, and the Government Printer is thereby defined to mean and include the Printer to Her Majesty :

And whereas divers other enactments provide that copies of Acts of Parliament, regulations, warrants, circulars, gazettes, and other documents shall be admissible in evidence if purporting to be printed by the Government Printer, or the Queen's Printer, or a printer authorised by Her Majesty, or otherwise under the authority of Her Majesty:

And whereas it is expedient to make further provision respecting the printing of the copies aforesaid :

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

1 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Documentary Evidence Act, 1882.

2 Documents printed under superintendence of Stationery Office receivable in evidence.

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, or a printer authorised by Her Majesty, or otherwise under Her Majesty's authority, whatever may he the precise expression used, such copy shall also he conclusive evidence, or evidence, or have the said effect (as the case may he) if it purports to he printed under the superintendence or authority of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

3 Penalty for forgery.

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, with or without hard labour.

4 Application of Act to Ireland.

The Documentary Evidence Act, 1868, as amended by this Act, shall apply to proclamations, orders, and regulations issued by the Lord Lieutenant or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, 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.