Flax Act, 1936

Evidence of contents of registers.

25.—(1) Every register kept under this Act shall be—

(a) deemed to be in the proper custody when in the custody of the Minister or of an officer of the Minister authorised in that behalf by the Minister, and

(b) admissible in evidence without further proof, on production from the proper custody.

(2) Prima facie evidence of any entry in a register kept under this Act may be given in any court or any legal proceedings by the production of a copy of such entry purporting to be certified to be a true copy by any officer of the Minister authorised in that behalf, and it shall not be necessary to prove the signature of such officer or that he was in fact such officer or was so authorised.

(3) A certificate, purporting to be under the hand of an officer of the Minister authorised in that behalf by the Minister, that any premises specified in such certificate are not entered in the register kept under this Act specified in such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the matters so certified, and it shall not be necessary to prove the signature of such officer, or that he was in fact such officer, or was in fact so authorised.

(4) Any person may—

(a) obtain a copy, certified in manner hereinbefore mentioned to be a true copy, of any entry in a register kept under this Act on payment of a fee of sixpence for each folio of seventy-two words of the copy;

(b) obtain such certificate as is hereinbefore mentioned that any specified premises are not registered in a specified register kept under this Act on payment of the fee of one shilling.

(5) All fees payable under this section shall be collected in money and taken in such manner as the Minister for Finance shall from time to time direct, and shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in accordance with the directions of the said Minister.

(6) The Public Offices Fees Act, 1879, shall not apply in respect of any fees payable under this section.