BSA Section 77: Proof of other official documents
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 · Chapter 5: Of Documentary Evidence
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77. The following public documents may be proved as follows:\u2014
(a) Acts, orders or notifications of the Central Government in any of its Ministries and Departments or of any State Government or any Department of any State Government or Union territory Administration\u2014
(i) by the records of the Departments, certified by the head of those Departments respectively; or
(ii) by any document purporting to be printed by order of any such Government;
(b) the proceedings of Parliament or a State Legislature, by the journals of those bodies respectively, or by published Acts or abstracts, or by copies purporting to be printed by order of the Government concerned;
(c) proclamations, orders or Regulations issued by the President of India or the Governor of a State or the Administrator or Lieutenant Governor of a Union territory, by copies or extracts contained in the Official Gazette;
(d) the Acts of the Executive or the proceedings of the Legislature of a foreign country, by journals published by their authority, or commonly received in that country as such, or by a copy certified under the seal of the country or sovereign, or by a recognition thereof in any Central Act;
(e) the proceedings of a municipal or local body in a State, by a copy of such proceedings, certified by the legal keeper thereof, or by a printed book purporting to be published by the authority of such body;
(f) public documents of any other class in a foreign country, by the original or by a copy certified by the legal keeper thereof, with a certificate under the seal of a Notary Public, or of an Indian Consul or diplomatic agent, that the copy is duly certified by the officer having the legal custody of the original, and upon proof of the character of the document according to the law of the foreign country.
Bare act text for reference, current to 1 July 2024. It is not legal advice; check the official gazette for authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 56. Proof of contents of documents
- 57. Primary evidence
- 58. Secondary evidence
- 59. Proof of documents by primary evidence
- 60. Cases in which secondary evidence relating to documents may be given
- 61. Electronic or digital record
- 62. Special provisions as to evidence relating to electronic record
- 63. Admissibility of electronic records
- 64. Rules as to notice to produce
- 65. Proof of signature and handwriting of person alleged to have signed or written document produced
- 66. Proof as to electronic signature
- 67. Proof of execution of document required by law to be attested
- 68. Proof where no attesting witness found
- 69. Admission of execution by party to attested document
- 70. Proof when attesting witness denies execution
- 71. Proof of document not required by law to be attested
- 72. Comparison of signature, writing or seal with others admitted or proved
- 73. Proof as to verification of digital signature
- 74. Public and private documents
- 75. Certified copies of public documents
- 76. Proof of documents by production of certified copies
- 78. Presumption as to genuineness of certified copies
- 79. Presumption as to documents produced as record of evidence, etc
- 80. Presumption as to Gazettes, newspapers, and other documents
- 81. Presumption as to Gazettes in electronic or digital record
- 82. Presumption as to maps or plans made by authority of Government
- 83. Presumption as to collections of laws and reports of decisions
- 84. Presumption as to powers-of-attorney
- 85. Presumption as to electronic agreements
- 86. Presumption as to electronic records and electronic signatures
- 87. Presumption as to Electronic Signature Certificates
- 88. Presumption as to certified copies of foreign judicial records
- 89. Presumption as to books, maps and charts
- 90. Presumption as to electronic messages
- 91. Presumption as to due execution, etc., of documents not produced
- 92. Presumption as to documents thirty years old
- 93. Presumption as to electronic records five years old