Forgery Act 1913

3 Forgery of certain documents with, intent to defraud or deceive

(1) Forgery of the following documents, if committed with intent to defraud or deceive, shall be felony, and punishable with penal servitude for life :—

Any document whatsoever having thereupon or affixed thereto the stamp or impression of the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Privy Seal, any privy signet of His Majesty, His Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, any of His Majesty's seals appointed by the Twenty-fourth Article of the Union between England and Scotland to be kept, used, and continued in Scotland, the Great Seal of Ireland or the Privy Seal of Ireland.

(2) Forgery of the following documents, if committed with intent to defraud or deceive, shall be felony, and punishable with penal servitude for any term not exceeding fourteen years:—

(a) Any register or record of births, baptisms, namings, dedications, marriages, deaths, burials, or cremations, which now is, or hereafter may be, by law authorised or required to be kept in the United Kingdom, relating to any birth, baptism, naming, dedication, marriage, death, burial, or cremation, or any part of any such register, or any certified copy of any such register, or of any part thereof ;

(b) Any copy of any register of baptisms, marriages, burials, or cremations, directed or required by law to be transmitted to any registrar or other officer ;

(c) Any register of the birth, baptism, death, burial, or cremation of any person to be appointed a nominee under the provisions of the Government Annuities Act, 1829, or any copy or certificate of any such register, or the name of any witness to any such certificate ;

(d) Any certified copy of a record purporting to be signed by an assistant keeper of the Public Records in England ;

(e) Any wrapper or label provided by or under the authority of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

(3) Forgery of the following documents, if committed with intent to defraud or deceive, shall be felony, and punishable with penal servitude for any term not exceeding seven years :—

(a) Any official document whatsoever of or belonging to any court of justice, or made or issued by any judge, magistrate, officer, or clerk of any such court;

(b) Any register or book kept under the provisions of any law in or under the authority of any court of justice ;

(c) Any certificate, office copy, or certified copy of any such document, register, or book or of any part thereof ;

(d) Any document which any magistrate or any master or registrar in lunacy is authorised or required by law to make or issue ;

(e) Any document which any person authorised to administer an oath under the [52 Vict. c. 10.] Commissioners for Oaths Act, 1889, is authorised or required by law to make or issue ;

(f) Any document made or issued by an officer of state or law officer of the Crown, or any document upon which, by the law or usage at the time in force, any court of justice or any officer might act;

(g) Any document or copy of a document used or intended to be used in evidence in any Court of Record, or any document which is made evidence by law ;

(h) Any certificate required by any Act for the celebration of marriage ;

(i) Any licence for the celebration of marriage which may be given by law ;

(j) Any certificate, declaration, or order under any enactment relating to the registration of births or deaths ;

(k) Any register book, builder's certificate, surveyor's certificate, certificate of registry, declaration, bill of sale, instrument of mortgage, or certificate of mortgage or sale under Part I. of the [57 & 58 Vict. c. 60.] Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, or any entry or endorsement required by the said Part of the said Act to be made in or on any of those documents ;

(l) Any permit, certificate, or similar document made or granted by or under the authority of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.