Government of Wales Act 2006

90 Documents

(1) A document is validly executed by the Welsh Ministers if it is executed by the First Minister or any Welsh Minister appointed under section 48.

(2) The application of the seal of the Welsh Ministers is to be authenticated by the First Minister, any Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 or any person authorised by the Welsh Ministers (whether generally or specifically) for that purpose.

(3) A document purporting to be—

(a) duly executed under the seal of the Welsh Ministers, or

(b) signed on behalf of the Welsh Ministers,

is to be received in evidence and, unless the contrary is proved, is to be taken to be so executed or signed.

(4) A certificate signed by the First Minister or a Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 that any document purporting to be executed by the Welsh Ministers or signed by them or on their behalf was so executed or signed is conclusive evidence of that fact.

(5) A document purporting to be signed by or on behalf of—

(a) the First Minister, or

(b) the Counsel General,

is to be received in evidence and, unless the contrary is proved, is to be taken to be so signed.

(6) A certificate signed by the First Minister or the Counsel General that any document purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the First Minister or the Counsel General was so signed is conclusive evidence of that fact.

(7) The Documentary Evidence Act 1868 (c. 37) (proof of documents) has effect as if—

(a) in the first column of Schedule 1 there were included a reference to the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister, a Welsh Minister appointed under section 48 and the Counsel General,

(b) in the second column of that Schedule there were included in connection with that reference a reference to a member of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government, and

(c) in section 2 of that Act the reference to regulations issued by or under the authority of an officer mentioned in the first column of the Schedule included a reference to any document issued by or under the authority of a person or persons within paragraph (a).