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← Evidence Act 1950

Evidence Act 1950 s 57

Evidence Act 1950 s 57

s 57 Facts of which court must take judicial notice

(1) The court shall take judicial notice of the following facts: (a) all laws or regulations having the force of law now or heretofore in force or hereafter to be in force in Malaysia or any part thereof; (b) all public Acts passed or hereafter to be passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and all local and personal Acts directed by it to be judicially noticed; (c) articles of war for the armed forces or any visiting force lawfully present in Malaysia; (d) the course of proceedings in Parliament, in the federal legislatures that existed in Malaysia before Parliament was constituted, in the legislature of any State in Malaysia and in the Parliament of the United Kingdom; (e) the accession of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the accession of the Ruler of any State in Malaysia and the appointment of a Yang di-Pertua Negeri; (f) the accession and the sign manual of the Sovereign for the time being of the United Kingdom; (g) the seals of all the courts of Malaysia, all seals which any person is authorized to use by any law in force for the time being in Malaysia or any part thereof, all seals of which English courts take judicial notice, and the seals of Courts of Admiralty and maritime jurisdiction and of notaries public; (h) the accession to office, names, titles, functions and signatures of the persons filling for the time being any public office in any part of Malaysia, if the fact of their appointment to such office is notified in the Gazette or in any State Gazette; (i) the existence, title and national flag of every State or Sovereign recognized by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong; (j) the ordinary course of nature, natural and artificial divisions of time, the geographical divisions of the world, the meaning of Malay and English words, and public festivals, fasts and holidays notified in the Gazette or in any State Gazette; (k) the Commonwealth countries; (l) the commencement, continuance and termination of hostilities between Malaysia or any other part of the Commonwealth and any other country or body of persons; (m) the names of the members and officers of the court and of their deputies and subordinate officers and assistants, and also of all officers acting in execution of its process, and of all advocates and other persons authorized by law to appear or act before it; (n) the rule of the road on the land, sea regulations and the rules of the air; (o) all other matters which it is directed by any written law to notice. Explanationβ€”The words β€œParliament of the United Kingdom” in paragraphs (b) and (d) meanβ€” (i) the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; (ii) the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; (iii) the Parliament of Northern Ireland; (iv) the Parliament of Great Britain; (v) the Parliament of England; (vi) the Parliament of Scotland; (vii) the Parliament of Ireland prior to 1 January 1801. (2) In all these cases, and also on all matters of public history, literature, science or art, the court may resort for its aid to appropriate books or documents of reference. (3) If the court is called upon by any person to take judicial notice of any fact, it may refuse to do so unless and until the person produces any such book or document as it considers necessary to enable it to do so.

Malay text (authoritative)

Fakta yang mengenainya mahkamah mesti memberi pengiktirafan kehakiman

(1) Mahkamah hendaklah memberi pengiktirafan kehakiman mengenai fakta yang berikut: (a) semua undang-undang atau peraturan yang kini mempunyai kuat kuasa undang-undang atau yang sebelum ini berkuat kuasa atau yang kemudian daripada ini akan berkuat kuasa di Malaysia atau di mana-mana bahagiannya; (b) semua Akta awam yang telah diluluskan atau yang kemudian daripada ini akan diluluskan oleh Parlimen United Kingdom dan semua Akta tempatan atau persendirian yang diarahkan olehnya supaya diberi pengiktirafan kehakiman; (c) tatakawalan angkatan tentera bagi angkatan tentera atau mana-mana angkatan pelawat yang berada di Malaysia secara sah; (d) perjalanan prosiding di Parlimen, badan perundangan persekutuan yang wujud di Malaysia sebelum Parlimen ditubuhkan, badan perundangan mana-mana Negeri di Malaysia dan Parlimen United Kingdom; (e) perihal naik takhta Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan naik takhta Sultan mana-mana Negeri di Malaysia dan pelantikan Yang di-Pertua Negeri; (f) perihal naik takhta dan tandatangan Raja United Kingdom pada masa itu; (g) meterai semua mahkamah Malaysia, semua meterai yang mana-mana orang diberi kuasa untuk menggunakannya oleh mana-mana undang-undang yang sedang berkuat kuasa di Malaysia atau mana-mana bahagiannya, semua meterai yang diberi pengiktirafan kehakiman oleh mahkamah Inggeris, dan meterai Mahkamah Admiralti dan mahkamah yang mempunyai bidang kuasa kelautan dan meterai notari awam; (h) Perihal jawatan mula dipegang, nama, gelaran, fungsi dan tandatangan orang yang sedang menyandang mana-mana jawatan awam di mana-mana bahagian di Malaysia, jika hakikat pelantikannya kepada jawatan itu diberitahu dalam Warta atau dalam mana-mana Warta Negeri; (i) kewujudan, gelaran dan bendera kebangsaan tiap-tiap Negara atau Pemerintah Berdaulat yang diiktiraf oleh Yang di-Pertuan Agong; (j) perjalanan biasa alam, pembahagian waktu semula jadi dan rekaan, pembahagian dunia mengikut geografi, pengertian perkataan Melayu dan Inggeris, dan hari perayaan awam, puasa dan kelepasan am yang diberitahu dalam Warta atau dalam mana-mana Warta Negeri; (k) negara Komanwel; (l) bermulanya, berterusannya dan tamatnya permusuhan antara Malaysia atau mana-mana bahagian lain Komanwel dengan mana-mana negara lain atau kumpulan orang; (m) nama anggota dan pegawai mahkamah serta timbalan dan pegawai bawahan dan pembantu mereka, dan juga nama semua pegawai yang bertindak melaksanakan proses mahkamah, dan nama semua peguam bela dan orang lain yang dibenarkan oleh undang-undang untuk hadir atau bertindak di hadapannya; (n) kaedah-kaedah jalan di darat, peraturan-peraturan laut dan kaedah-kaedah udara; (o) segala perkara lain yang mahkamah diarahkan oleh mana-mana undang-undang bertulis supaya mengiktiraf. Huraianβ€”Perkataan β€œParlimen United Kingdom” dalam perenggan (b) dan (d) ertinyaβ€” (i) Parlimen United Kingdom Great Britain dan Ireland Utara; (ii) Parlimen United Kingdom Great Britain dan Ireland; (iii) Parlimen Ireland Utara; (iv) Parlimen Great Britain; (v) Parlimen England; (vi) Parlimen Scotland; (vii) Parlimen Ireland sebelum 1 Januari 1801. (2) Dalam segala hal ini, dan juga mengenai segala perkara mengenai sejarah awam, sastera, sains atau seni, mahkamah boleh menggunakan buku atau dokumen rujukan yang sesuai untuk membantunya. (3) Jika mahkamah diminta oleh mana-mana orang supaya memberi pengiktirafan kehakiman mengenai apa-apa fakta, ia boleh enggan berbuat demikian melainkan jika dan sehingga orang itu mengemukakan apa-apa buku atau dokumen sebagaimana yang difikirkannya perlu bagi membolehkannya berbuat demikian.

Read this section in the full act β†’ Β· Open Chapter III β†’

Find Act 56 on lom.agc.gov.my β†—

Text as at 1 May 2017 (LOM reprint); amendments made after that date may not be incorporated.

Source: Laws of Malaysia, Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia (lom.agc.gov.my). Not a copy of the Gazette printed by the Government Printer (Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967, s 61).

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