Section 19: Official documents and their authentication

19. Official documents and their authentication (1) In any proceedings under this Act— (a) a document, duly authenticated, that purports to set out testimony given on oath, or declared or affirmed to be true, by a person in proceedings in a foreign State, shall be admissible as evidence of the matters stated in the testimony; (b) a document, duly authenticated, that purports to have been received in evidence, or to be a copy of a document that has been received in evidence in proceedings in a foreign State shall be admissible in evidence; (c) a document, duly authenticated, that certifies that a person was convicted on a date specified in the document of an offence against the law of, or of a part of, a foreign State shall be admissible as evidence of the fact and date of the conviction; and [Issue 1] E19 – 10 Revised Laws of Mauritius (d) a document, duly authenticated, that purports to be a foreign warrant shall be admissible in evidence. (2) A document shall be deemed to be duly authenticated for the purpose of being admitted in evidence in proceedings under this Act where, in the case of a document that— (a) purports to set out testimony given, declared or affirmed by a person in proceedings in a foreign State, the document purports to be certified by a Judge, Magistrate or officer in that foreign State to be the original document containing or recording that testimony or a true copy of that original document; (b) purports to have been received in evidence, or to be a copy of a document that has been received in evidence, in proceedings in a foreign State, the document purports to be certified by a Judge, Magistrate or officer in or of that State to have been, or to be a true copy of a document that has been so received in evidence; (c) certifies that a person has been convicted of an offence, the document purports to be certified by a Judge, Magistrate or officer in or of that State; or (d) purports to be a foreign warrant, the document purports to be signed by a Judge, Magistrate or officer in or of the State in which the document was issued and the document purports to be authenticated by the oath of a witness or by being signed by or sealed with the official seal of a Minister in or of that State. (3) Every Court in Mauritius shall take judicial notice of the signature or seal of a Minister authenticating any document specified in subsection (2). (4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the proof of any matter, or the admission in evidence of any document, in accordance with any enactment in Mauritius.