Forgery Act 1861

As to forging Records, Process, Instruments of Evidence, &c.:—

27 Forging Proceedings of Courts of Record or Courts of Equity.

Whosoever shall forge or fraudulently alter, or shall offer, utter, dispose of, or put off, knowing the same to be forged or fraudulently altered, any Record, Writ, Return, Panel, Process, Rule, Order, Warrant, Interrogatory, Deposition, Affidavit, Affirmation, Recognizance, Cognovit actionem, or Warrant of Attorney, or any original Document whatsoever of or belonging to any Court of Record, or any Bill, Petition, Process, Notice, Rule, Answer, Pleading, Interrogatory, Deposition, Affidavit, Affirmation, Report, Order, or Decree, or any original Document whatsoever of or belonging to any Court of Equity or Court of Admiralty in England or Ireland, or any Document or Writing, or any Copy of any Document or Writing, used or intended to be used as Evidence in any Court in this Section mentioned, shall be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for any Term not exceeding Seven Years and not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Terra not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.

28 Forging Copies or Certificates of Records, Process of Courts not of Record, and using forged Process.

Whosoever, being the Clerk of any Court, or other Officer having the Custody of the Records of any Court, or being the Deputy of any such Clerk or Officer, shall utter any false Copy or Certificate of any Record, knowing the same to be false; and whosoever, other than such Clerk, Officer, or Deputy, shall sign or certify any Copy or Certificate of any Record as such Clerk, Officer, or Deputy; and whosoever shall forge or fraudulently alter, or offer, utter, dispose of, or put off, knowing the same to be forged or fraudulently altered, any Copy or Certificate of any Record, or shall offer, utter, dispose of, or put off any Copy or Certificate of any Record having thereon any false or forged Name, Handwriting, or Signature, knowing the same to be false or forged; and whosoever shall forge the Seal of any Court of Record, or shall forge or fraudulently alter any Process of any Court other than such-Courts as in the last preceding Section mentioned, or shall serve or enforce any forged Process of any Court whatsoever, knowing the same to be forged, or shall deliver or cause to be delivered to any Person any Paper falsely purporting to be any such Process, or a Copy thereof, or to be any Judgment, Decree, or Order of any Court of Law or Equity, or a Copy thereof, knowing the same to be false, or shall act or profess to act under any such false Process, knowing the same to be false, shall be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for any Term not exceeding Seven Years and not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.

29 Forging Instruments made Evidence by any Act of Parliament.

Whosoever shall forge or fraudulently alter, or shall offer, utter, dispose of, or put off, knowing the same to be forged or fraudulently altered, any Instrument, whether written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, which is or shall be made Evidence by any Act passed or to be passed; and for which Offence no Punishment is herein provided, shall be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for any Term not exceeding Seven Years and not less than Three Years,—or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, with or without Hard Labour, and with or without Solitary Confinement.