Evidence (Amendment) Bill

Bill No. 19/1987

Read the first time on 9th November 1987.
An Act to amend the Evidence Act (Chapter 97 of the 1985 Revised Edition).
Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:
Short title and commencement
1.  This Act may be cited as the Evidence (Amendment) Act 1987 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
New section 80A
2.  The Evidence Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 80, the following section:
Prints from films in the possession of the Government and statutory body
80A.—(1)  A print, whether enlarged or not, purporting to be made from a film of any document in the possession of the Government or any statutory body specified in the Schedule may be produced in proof of the contents of the document or such part of the document to which the print purports to be a copy upon proof that —
(a)while the document was in the custody or control of the Government or specified statutory body the film was taken in order to keep a permanent record thereof; and
(b)the document photographed —
(i)was subsequently destroyed, whether deliberately or otherwise;
(ii)was so damaged as to be wholly or partly indecipherable;
(iii)was lost; or
(iv)had passed out of the custody or control of the Government or specified statutory body.
(2)  Proof —
(a)that a print is made from a film of a document in the possession of the Government or a specified statutory body; and
(b)of compliance with the conditions in subsection (1),
may be given in respect of any document or groups of documents by a public officer or by an employee of the specified statutory body having custody or control of the film, orally or by a certificate purporting to be signed by such public officer or employee.
(3)  A certificate under subsection (2) shall be admissible in evidence in any proceedings before any court on its production without further proof.
(4)  On the production of a certificate under subsection (3), the court before which it is produced shall, until the contrary is proved, presume —
(a)that the facts stated in the certificate relating to the print and the compliance with the conditions in subsection (1) are true; and
(b)that the certificate purporting to be signed by a public officer or an employee of a specified statutory body has been signed by him.
(5)  In this section —
“film” includes a photographic plate, microfilm and photostatic negative;
“specified statutory body” means a statutory body specified in the Schedule.
(6)  The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, amend the Schedule.”.
New Schedule
3.  The Evidence Act is amended by inserting, immediately at the end, the following Schedule:
THE SCHEDULE
Section 80A.
Statutory Body
 
Act under which
Established or Constituted
1Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore
 
Currency Act (Chapter 69).
2.Central Provident Fund Board
 
Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 36).
3.Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
 
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 41).
4.Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation
 
Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation Act (Chapter 47).
5.Construction Industry Development Board
 
Construction Industry Development Board Act (Chapter 51).
6.Economic Development Board
 
Economic Development Board Act (Chapter 85).
7.Housing and Development Board
 
Housing and Development Act (Chapter 129).
8.Jurong Town Corporation
 
Jurong Town Corporation Act (Chapter 150).
9.Mass Rapid Transit Corporation
 
Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Act (Chapter 172).
10.Monetary Authority of Singapore
 
Monetary Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 186).
11.National Computer Board
 
National Computer Board Act (Chapter 195).
12.Port of Singapore Authority
 
Port of Singapore Authority Act (Chapter 236).
13.Public Utilities Board
 
Public Utilities Act (Chapter 261).
14.Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
 
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Act (Chapter 297).
15.Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research
 
Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research Act (Chapter 301).
16.Singapore Tourist Promotion Board
 
Tourist Promotion Board Act (Chapter 328).
17.Telecommunication Authority of Singapore
 
Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 323).
18.Trade Development Board
 
Trade Development Board Act (Chapter 330).
19.Urban Redevelopment Authority
 
Urban Redevelopment Authority Act (Chapter 340).
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