15 Admissibility of records as evidence.U.K.
(1)A statement contained in a document purporting to be—
(a)a part of the records maintained by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this Act; or
(b)a copy of a document forming part of those records; or
(c)a note of any information contained in those records,
and to be authenticated by a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State shall be admissible in any proceedings as evidence or, in Scotland, sufficient evidence, of any fact stated therein to the same extent as oral evidence of that fact is admissible in those proceedings.
[F1(2)In this section as it has effect in England and Wales [F2 and Northern Ireland]—
“document” means anything in which information of any description is recorded;
“copy”, in relation to a document, means anything onto which information recorded in the document has been copied, by whatever means and whether directly or indirectly; and
“statement” means any representation of fact, however made.
F1(2A)In this section as it has effect in Scotland, “document” and “statement” have the same meanings as in section 17(3) of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1968, and the reference to a copy of a document shall be construed in accordance with section 17(4) of that Act.
[F3F1(2B). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
F1(2C)Nothing in subsection (2A) F4. . . above shall be construed as limiting to civil proceedings the references to proceedings in subsection (1) above.]
(3)Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall enable evidence to be given with respect to any matter other than a matter of the prescribed description.
Textual Amendments
F1S. 15: subsections (2)-(2C) substituted (31.1.1997) for subsection (2) by 1995 c. 38, s. 15(1), Sch. 1 para. 8 (with SS. 1(3), 6(4)(5), 14); S.I. 1996/3217, art. 2.
F2Words in s. 15(2) inserted (N.I.) (6.9.1999) by S.I. 1997/2983, art. 13(1), Sch. 1 para. 2(a); S.R. 1999/339, art. 2
F3S. 15(2B) omitted (N.I.) (6.9.1999) by virtue of S.I. 1997/2983, art. 13(2), Sch. 2; S.R. 1999/339, art. 2
F4Words in s. 15(2C) omitted (N.I.) (6.9.1999) by virtue of S.I. 1997/2983, art. 13(2), Sch. 2; S.R. 1999/339, art. 2