Section 12Part 2 — Procedure in general
Acts of state, etc.
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Proclamations, treaties and other acts of state or of any foreign state, Commonwealth country or British Overseas Territories and judgments, decrees, orders and judicial proceedings of any court of any such foreign state, Commonwealth country or British Colony and affidavits, pleadings and other legal documents filed in any such court may be proved in any court either by examined copies, or by copies authenticated as hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, if the document sought to be proved be a proclamation, treaty or other act of state the authenticated copy, to be admissible in evidence, must purport to be sealed with the seal of the foreign state, Commonwealth country or British Overseas Territories to which the original document belongs; and if the document sought to be proved be a judgment, decree, order or other judicial proceeding of any foreign, Commonwealth or overseas territories court, or an affidavit, pleading or other legal document filed or deposited in any such court, the authenticated copy, to be admissible in evidence, must purport either to be sealed with the seal of the court to which the original document belongs or, in the event of such court having no seal, to be signed by a judge of such court; and such judge shall attach to that judge's signature a statement in writing on the said copy that the court whereof that person is a judge has no seal; but if any of the aforesaid copies purport to be sealed or signed as hereinbefore respectively directed, the same shall respectively be admitted in evidence in every case in which the original document could have been received in evidence, without any proof of the seal where a seal is necessary or of the signature or of the truth of the statement attached thereto, where such signature or such statement is necessary, or of the judicial character of the person appearing to have made such signature and statement.