Evidence Act 1893 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 2 · Proof
78. Certified copies of public documents
Feedback & supportEvery public officer having the custody of a public document which any person has a right to inspect must give that person on demand a copy of it on payment of the legal fees therefor, together with a certificate, written at the foot of such copy, that it is a true copy of such document or part thereof, as the case may be.
document
“document” includes, in addition to a document in writing —(a)any map, plan, graph or drawing;(b)any photograph;(c)any label, marking or other writing which identifies or describes anything of which it forms a part, or to which it is attached by any means whatsoever;(d)any disc, tape, soundtrack or other device in which sounds or other data (not being visual images) are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom;(e)any film (including microfilm), negative, tape, disc or other device in which one or more visual images are embodied so as to be capable (with or without the aid of some other equipment) of being reproduced therefrom; and(f)any paper or other material on which there are marks, impressions, figures, letters, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them;
A certificate under subsection (1) must be dated and subscribed by such officer with the officer’s name and official title, and must be sealed whenever such officer is authorised by law to make use of a seal, and such copies so certified are called certified copies. Explanation.—Any officer who by the ordinary course of official duty is authorised to deliver such copies is deemed to have the custody of such documents within the meaning of this section.