The Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

Evidence of acts of department

7.—(1) Every document purporting to be issued by a department and—

(a) to be sealed with the seal of the department authenticated as provided by Article 6(2); or

(b) to be signed by the Minister or a senior officer of the department or other officer of the department authorised by the Minister in that behalf,

shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such a document without further proof, unless the contrary is shown.

(2) A certificate signed by—

(a) the Minister; or

(b) a senior officer of a department,

that a document purporting to be issued by the department is so issued shall be conclusive evidence of the facts so certified.

(3) The [1868 c. 37.] Documentary Evidence Act 1868, as amended by the [1882 c. 9.] Documentary Evidence Act 1882, shall apply to a department as if—

(a) the department were mentioned in the first column of the Schedule to the Act of 1868 and the Minister or a senior officer of the department were mentioned in the second column of that Schedule;

(b) the regulations referred to in those Acts included any document issued by the department.