Hong Kong Ordinances

EVIDENCE ORDINANCE - SECT 31

Proof of foreign or colonial act of state, judgment, etc.

All proclamations, treaties, and other acts of state of any foreign state or
of any Commonwealth Country, and all judgments, decrees, orders, and other
judicial proceedings of any court of justice or any consulate in any foreign
state or in any Commonwealth Country, and all affidavits, pleadings, and other
legal documents filed or deposited in any such court or consulate may be
proved in the courts of Hong Kong either by examined copies or by copies
authenticated as hereinafter mentioned: that is to say, if the document sought
to be proved is 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 or Commonwealth Country to which the original
document belongs, and if the document sought to be proved is a judgment,
decree, order, or other judicial proceeding of any court of justice or any
consulate in any foreign state or in any Commonwealth Country, or an
affidavit, pleading, or other legal document filed or deposited in any such
court or consulate, the authenticated copy to be admissible in evidence must
purport either to be sealed with the seal of such court or consulate, or, in
the event of such court having no seal, to be signed by the judge or, if there
are more judges than one, by any one of the judges of such court, and such
judge shall attach to his signature a statement in writing on the said copy
that the court of justice whereof he is a judge has no seal; but if any of the
aforesaid authenticated 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 and statement are necessary, or of the judicial character of the
person appearing to have made such signature and statement. (Amended 51 of
1911; 63 of 1911 Schedule; 8 of 1912 s. 34; 5 of 1924 Schedule; 69 of 1970 s.
2; 37 of 1987 s. 11) [cf. 1851 c. 99 s. 7 U.K.]