A previous conviction may be proved against any person in any criminal proceedings by the production of such evidence of the conviction as is mentioned in this section, and by showing that his finger–prints and those of the person convicted are the finger–prints of the same person.

A certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, containing particulars relating to a conviction extracted from the criminal records kept by him, and certifying that the copies of the finger–prints exhibited to the certificate are copies of the finger–prints appearing from the said records to have been taken F1under or by virtue of any enactment in that behalf in force in any part of the United Kingdom (including an enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland), from the person convicted on the occasion of the conviction, shall be evidence of the conviction and evidence that the copies of the finger–prints exhibited to the certificate are copies of the finger–prints of the person convicted.

A certificate purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the governor of a prison or remand centre in which any person have been detained in connection with any criminal proceedings, certifying that the finger–prints exhibited thereto were taken from him while he was so detained, shall be evidence in those proceedings that the finger–prints exhibited to the certificate are the finger–prints of that person.

A certificate, purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and certifying that the finger–prints, copies of which are certified as aforesaid by or on behalf of the Commissioner to be copies of the finger–prints of a person previously convicted and the finger–prints certified by or on behalf of the governor as aforesaid, or otherwise shown, to be the finger–prints of the person against whom the previous conviction is sought to be proved are the finger–prints of the same person shall be evidence of the matter so certified.

The method of proving a previous conviction authorised by this section shall be in addition to any other method of proving the conviction.