139.—(1) Any registration document or licence issued by the Registrar in respect of any vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of the registration of the vehicle or of the fact that the vehicle was licensed for the period specified in the licence, as the case may be.(2) When in any proceedings for an offence under this Act it is necessary to prove —| (a) | that a vehicle was, or was not, registered in the name of any person; | | (b) | that any person was, or was not, the registered owner of a vehicle; or | | (c) | that any person was, or was not, the holder of a licence granted under this Act, |
| a certificate purporting to be signed by the Registrar or the Deputy Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, and certifying the matters aforesaid shall be admissible as evidence, and shall constitute prima facie proof of the facts certified in the certificate, without proof of the signature of the Registrar or the Deputy Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, to the certificate. |
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| (3) When in any proceedings for an offence under this Act any question arises as to whether a vehicle does, or does not, comply with any of the provisions of this Act relating to the construction, equipment or conditions of use of the vehicle, a certificate from an officer of the Registrar’s office that he has examined the vehicle and the result of the examination shall be admissible in evidence, and shall be sufficient prima facie evidence of any fact or opinion stated therein relating to the construction, equipment or conditions of use of the vehicle. |
| (4) The officer may not be called for cross-examination on the certificate unless contrary evidence is given which appears to the court to be credible, or unless for any reason the court considers cross-examination to be necessary or desirable in the interests of justice. |
| (5) In any case in which the prosecution intends to give in evidence any such certificate, there shall be delivered to the defendant a copy thereof not less than 10 clear days before the commencement of the trial. |
| (6) When in any proceedings it is necessary to prove the weight unladen or laden of any vehicle, or the weight of any load carried on any vehicle, a certificate purporting to be signed by any public officer in charge of the weighbridge or weighing machine on which such vehicle or load was weighed, and certifying the weight of the vehicle or load and that the weighbridge or weighing machine had been examined within the previous 12 months and found to be accurate, shall be accepted by any court as prima facie proof of the facts certified in the certificate. |
| (7) When in any proceedings before any court it is necessary to prove that any police officer, public officer or the Registrar or the Deputy Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, has sent or served, or has received or has not received, any badge, document, licence, notice, plate or other thing, a certificate purporting to be signed by the police officer, public officer or the Registrar or the Deputy Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, and certifying the sending, service, reception or non-reception, as the case may be, of the badge, document, licence, notice, plate or thing, shall be admissible as evidence, and shall constitute prima facie proof of the facts certified in the certificate, without proof of the signature of that certificate. |
| (8) Where in any proceedings for an offence under this Act relating to the maximum speed at which motor vehicles may be driven it is necessary to prove the speed at which the vehicle has been driven, a certificate, purporting to be signed by a police officer not below the rank of inspector who was in charge of the apparatus, instrument or appliance used to measure, at a distance from such vehicle, the speed at which the vehicle was driven and certifying that the apparatus, instrument or appliance had been examined within the previous 3 months and found to be accurate, shall be accepted by any court as prima facie proof of the facts certified in the certificate. |
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