16A.—(1) The following documents are admissible in any proceedings under this Act, without further proof, as evidence of any fact therein of which direct oral evidence would be admissible:

(a) a document constituting part of the records of a business or a copy of such a document;

(b) a deed;

(c) a document purporting to be signed by a person on behalf of a business and stating—

(i) either—

(I) that a designated document or documents constitutes or constitute part of the records of the business or is or are a copy or copies of such a document or documents, or

(II) that there is no entry or other reference in those records in relation to a specified matter, and

(ii) that the person has personal knowledge of the matters referred to in subparagraph (i).

(2) Evidence that is admissible by virtue of subsection (1) shall not be admitted if the Court is of the opinion that in the interests of justice it ought not to be admitted.

(3) This section is without prejudice to any other enactment or any rule of law authorising the admission of documentary evidence.

(4) In this section—

‘business’ includes—

(a) an undertaking not carried on for profit, and

(b) a public authority;

‘deed’ means any document by which an estate or interest in land is created, transferred, charged or otherwise affected and includes a contract for the sale of land;

‘document’ includes a reproduction in legible form of a record in non-legible form;

‘public authority’ has the meaning given to it by section 2(1) of the Local Government Act 2001 and includes a local authority within the meaning of that section;

‘records’ includes records in non-legible form and any reproduction thereof in legible form.]