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435

THE BANKERS BOOKS EVIDENCE ACT OF 1879.(43Vic. No. 7.)The Statute Law Revision Act of 1908 (8 Edw. VII, No.18)-

An Act to Amcnd the Law with r e f e r ew e t o B a ~ ~ k e r s ooks Evidejice.

A S AMENDED BY

[Assented t o 16th September, 1879.1[Preamble r.epealecZ b y The Statzite Law Revision Act o f 1908, s. 2,t i t le ACTS.]1.Short title.-This Act may be cited for all purposes as T heBadcer3 Books Evidence Act of 1879.2, Interpretation clause, [39 & 40 Vic. c. 48 s. 2.].-In this Actthe following terms within inverted commas shall have the meaningsset against them respectively that is t o say- B a n k shall mean and include any person partnership corpora-

tion or company engaged in the ordinary business of bankingby receiving deposits and issuing bills o r notes payable t othe bearer at sight o r on demand and also any GovernmentSavings Bank established under any law in force f o r t h etime beingLegal Proceedings shall include all proceedings whetherpreliminary o r final in all Courts of Justice both criminaland civil and also all proceedings whether preliminary or finalby way of arbitration examination of witnesses asse,ssmentof damages compensation or otherwise in which the personpresiding over the same has power t o administer an oath

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436ss. 2, 3.

The Court shall mean the court judge magistrate arhitmtor o rotlier person authorised t o preside over the said legal pro-ceedings for the time being and shall incluclc al l personsjudges or officers having jurisdictiou and a,uthorised t opreside OTW o r t o exercise judicial control over the said legalproceedings o r the procedure or any steps thereinA Judge shall mean a judge OP the Supreme Court o f theColony of Queensland o r o f any District Court thereof.

Tlic Act rcfcrreil t o in the iiiargiiml notes t o this ;mi l tlie other sections ofthis Act is thc Iikinlwrs Boolcs Evidence Act, 1876, wli io l i 11;ia 1a i d replnecd i n E~iglandby t h e Bankers Boolis Evidcnw A c t , 1 8 7 9 (43 S; 43Vie. c. 11), or wliieli see IIalsburys Statutes o f Englanil, Vol. 8 , 1).%Hi. Tlic~scportions of t h e iriargixial notes do iiot appear in t h e A ct as cnt~tctcdancl h v cnot been iiiscrted b y aiiicndnient.District Courts were abolished by tlie repeal of tlie Didriet Courts Actsby The supreme court Act o f 1921, 8. 3, titlo SuPREhIE CQUitT.

3, Entries in books by &davit admissible in evidence. [39 & 40Vic. c. 48 s. 3.]-,From and after the cornnmiceinent o f this Act allentries in ledgers day books cash books and other account books of anybank shall be admissible in al l legal proceedings as p r i ~ d a & cvidenceof the rtlatters transactions and accounts recorcietl tkiercin 011 prooEo r superior officers of such bank o r b y other evideiicc tliat such lecigcrsday books cash books o r other account books are o r have b w t r theordinary books of such bank and that the said eritrics have becu made inusual arid ordinary course of business and that such boolis are in o r colueimmediately from the custody or control of such bank

Provided alvays that in any legal proceedings t o which aiiy bankshall be a party the cheques bills promissory notes orders fo r1paymentof money and other vouchers from which the entries in the ledgers daybooks cash books or other account books adduced in evidence on behalfof such bank in such proceedings purport to have been made shall bealso produced in addition to such entries and affidavit o r other evidence

h i d the production of any cheques bills promissory notes orclers orpayment of money and other vouchers signed by o r by some person dulyauthorised on behalf of the person firm o r coiripany whose account hasbeen debited with the amount thereof respectively in any such booktogether with an entry verified by affidavit as aforesaid as t o such bookand as t o such debit entry o r with an entry proved by other evidence asaforesaid shall be p r i m 2 facie evidence of payment thereof respectivelyhaving been in f a c t made by the bank t o or fox* the u se of such personfilm o r company.

being given by the affidavit in writing of one o f the partners m i i t l r l a,c~crs

This section c m only be availed of where s. 5 , pos t , has becn conlpliedwitk See U n i m Bunk v. Mason (1900), 9 Q.L.J. 294. This Act applies t o allbooks kept by the bank, whether o r not they are in daily use, and also t o thesuccessors o f the bank by whom the entries vere made (IIdiois dslllrrjtt v.I-lanclysidm (1906) , 22 T.L.R. 5 7 3 ) .For the effect of this Act on the lav and practice as t o discovery, secTaterhouse v. Barker, [1924] 2 K.B. 759.For cases, see the English and Empiro Digcst, Vol. 3, pp. 307-309 .

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437Bto?&et-s Booltx E i k l e n ce Aci of 1879. ss. 4-7.

4. Originds need not be produced. [39 & 40 Vic. c. 48 s. 4.1-Copies OP all entries in any ledgers day books cash books or other accountbooks used by any such bank may be proved in all legal proceedingsas evidence of such entries without production of the originals by theoath of a person who has examined the same stating the fact of the saidexaminationand that the copies sought to be pu t in evidence are correct.This section does not render copies admissible whore tlie original entrywould not be admissible (Bar t v. MirListeY for L a n d s (1901) , 1 N.B.W.S.R. 133).

Under a somewliat similar section it was held that a baizk might prove theentries in boolrs by secondary cvidence o f tho copies without producing theoriginals (Oriental Bank Corporat ion, v. Xmitk (1879), I A.L.T. 7 6 ) .Tho copies iiced not bo examined by an officer o f th e bank ( R . v. BZBzctt( l n l l ) , 75 J.P. (Eiig.) 1 1 2 ) .

5. Proviso as to notice to parties in a suit. [39 & 40 Vie. c. 48s. 5.1-Provided always th at no ledger day book cash book o r otheraccount book of any such bank and no cop)ics of cwtriw t h e r e i n mitaiuedsliall 1)c acidizced o r received in evidence imclcr this Act 1111less five daysmiice i n writing o r such othw notiec as Itlily h c > ol*tlerc:tl 1)s tlie courtcontaining a copy of the entries proposvtl t o 1 ) ~tctciiicc~cla i d of theinterition l o adduce t h e same in cbvitlcnw shall I ~ v cileti g i v w by thepiirty xwoposing t o addnue th c same in c>viclcticeto t l ~ r thclr party orp:1rtirs or the i r . or his. attorney o r agent t o ~ h c id legal proceedingsand that such other party o r par t ics is o r at: t lil)ert,y t o inspect th eorjgiiial entries and the acconnts of which such entrirts fo rm a part andtvlicw such Imnk is n party to tlie prouccdiiigc: tliat !tic other party orparties thereto is o r are at liberty t o inspect the cheques bills promissorynotes orders for payment of money and other vouehers in respect ofr h i c h such entries were made.

6. In criminal cases notice may 2 e given before information is,-In any case in which any accused person shall have beeneoiiiniittd for trial such no t ie c i l ls lust aforesaid may be g i ven by 01 tothe accused person at any time after he has been so committed notwith-staiiding that no inforination against him shall have been presented t othe court before which he is to be tried.7.Power under order of judge t o inspect books and take copies.[39 & 40 Vic. c. 48 s. 6.1-0n th e application of any party t o any legalproceedings who has received such notice a judge may order that suchparty be at liberty t o inspect and t o take copies of any entry or entriesin the ledgers day books cash books or other account books of any suchbank relating t o the matters in question in such legal proceedings andsuch order may be made by such judge a t his discrekion either with orwithout summoning Before him such bank o r the other party or partiest o suck legal proceedings and shall Be intimated to aueh bank at leastthree days before such inspection is required.

F o r definitions of terms used, see s. 2 , a?Lte.I n an Act which provided that the Court or a judge niiglit make the orderthe word ~ o u r t was hela to apply only t o the Court before which proceedingswere being taken, but judge wm held to apply to any judge of that Court,whetlier th e proceedings were being taken before him or no t ( P e a k Hill(:oldfields Ltd. V. S ~ ~ S O ~ Z1905), 7 W.A.L.X. 286) .

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ss . 7-9. E q id c 11 cc .TTndcr a siniilnr wctiniz it was h c ? d that ai1 order under s uc h section couldnot lie innclc in coiinwtiou with h:ink pny- i n slips (Leucr. v. Xngc/Irire, [ 19281V.L.R. 262) .This section gives unliniitcil 1 ) o n w to n judge t o orcler inspection ofin hniikcrs b o o k s heforc trial, wlictlier the books Icl:ite to :i l i taccount or t o that of a third party (sec FP17n:crlcoii.w v. 7kr i . / ;o r ,

2 1C.B. 759, per htliin L T . , a t 1) . 7 7 2 ) : b u t it seeitis ihnt ins1)cctiun of : thirdI i a r t F s account will nu ly I I C ortlerrcl when tlie accouiit is iii forni or su1)stanwtllc1 ncrc~mlf o f a i ar ty to the litigation 01 ki.]it o i l liis hch:ilf ( ~ E CTforwrt7 v.%? Q . 1 3 . D . 1: ani1 Pollock v. ( ; a i l ~ , 185% 1 (1). 1 ) . Tlic I )ow rict i l i i i cif third partys nccounts is c1isrrctitrn:ir~ (1. ( I % ) Z ) , ti2 T,..J.Q.B. 7 7 ) , :irid nus st- i w ( ~ w wcnutioii ( S o u f h A!o#/ird.dtiw T t x m t w y s Co . v. i 7 b 7 ~ v ~ i j / h ,1S 9 7 jI~cird +d~cr M.R., :it p. 67-1 : Pollock v. C k r l f t , I Ix !B] 1 Ch. 1, 1)cr liiiitllry %1.13.,

:I t 1). 5).The jurisdiction to order inspcction of eiitrieu in h n k e r s h i k s uiltlcr tliitzsectioii niust be esrrciscil in coiiforinity with t h e general 1:iw :IR tcr (1(Sm i th Staffordshire Trctaioays Co. I-. Eblismi/h, s z i p m ) . F o r instance, anorder for inspection has hecn refused (1) wlicre one party tricd to p t :in orderfor inspection of 1)ank-books and the ot1ic.r 1t;trty had iliscloscrntries in his pass- Imlc ani1 s1clorii that all otlier entries i n tlic 1books of tlie bank ~ r r errelevant (Paraell v. 7Pooc4 r lX921 1.

case, vrhere entries in th e banks hooks are likely t o reveal i n o r c tlinit c;iiCrics int h e pass-hook already clisclosed, the Court wi tiiakc a n o r r l r ~ o r inrl)ortion o fthe banks books, see P w r y v. Phospkor B r a e Co. Zld, (1894), $1 L.T. 854;Sowdh Stnfordshirc Praniiuuys Co. v. Ebbsir IL , . ~ p , n , er T~ordNS~LCI*.R.,at p. 6 7 5 ) ; ( 2 ) where a judginciit creditor could sec $111 rc~l(wnit nti-icv ii i thrbgnrnishce s pass-hook on discovery, for which ho linil :in nrrlcr (~ ~ l t d t Z g w.Smith, [19201 V.TJ.R. 4 0 ) ; ( 3 ) where the application IWR 1:qclg n fishing:qqilicalion (Gor t lo ) i r. KO)- ( l n l c i ) , 2 3 N.R.W.W.N. 55) ; and (4) whcrc theparty swore that entries in t h e hanks hook tvould, i f disclosc(1, lend t oi ncr imina te liini ( Vatcr l iouse v. Ba r ker , siipin).Tho section creates no new power of discovery ( A r u o l t v. lTa!/rs (1887),36 Ch. D. 731, per Cot ton L.S., at p. 7 3 7 ) save in so fa r t h a t third pnr ty8accounts a re in sonic casea treated as th e accounts of a party to tlie litigation(Hoioard v. Btall, si iprn; South S t a f o r d s h i r e lra?nways Co. I-. Ebbsrn ith, s u p r a ) .The application t o inspect may be niadc e% par t e , b u t usually the partywhose accouni is t o he esainiued should hare notice of tlie application which

should , unless the ninteriality of tlie inspection otherwise appears, be supporte(1by affidavit (Arnott r. ITayes, supra; S o u t h Staffor867h~ Tmmw((ys Co. v-Ebbsmith, supra, per Ray L.J., at p. 667).8. Judge may order that copies are not admissible. [39 & 40 Vic.

G. 48 s. 7.]--@n the application of any party t o any legal proceedingswho has received such notice a judge may order that such entries anclcopies mentioned in tlie said notice shall not be admissible as evidenceof the matte6 transactions and accounts recorded in such ledgers daybooks cash books and other account books.9. Bank not compellable to produce books except in certain casesc[39 & 40 Vic. c. 48 s. 8.1-No bank shall be compellable t o produce the

ledgers day books cash books OY other account books of such bank in anylegal proceedings unless a judge specially orders that such ledgers dagbooks cash books or other account books shall be produced at such legalproceedings.Legal proceedings do no t inc lude inquiries by Royal Commission!(3lcCo?.mac7; r. CampbeZZ, [1930] St. R. Qd. 228).