Contents

Part 1--Preliminary                                                                                                              1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ........................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Definitions .......................................................................................... 1

4............ References to evidence taken in an examination .................................. 5

5............ External Territories .............................................................................. 5

6............ Act to bind Crown .............................................................................. 5

Part 2--Examination of witnesses abroad                                                               6

Division 1--Proceedings in superior courts                                                      6

7............ Orders for taking evidence abroad ...................................................... 6

8............ Directions and requests relating to orders ........................................... 6

9............ Use of evidence taken in an examination ............................................. 7

Division 2--Proceedings in the Federal Magistrates Court and inferior courts               8

9A......... Orders for taking evidence abroad--Federal Magistrates Court ......... 8

10.......... Orders for taking evidence abroad--inferior courts ............................ 8

11.......... Orders for taking evidence abroad--family law matters ..................... 9

12.......... Use of evidence taken in an examination ............................................. 9

Division 3--Subsequent proceedings                                                                   11

13.......... Directions for use in subsequent proceedings of evidence taken abroad   11

14.......... Use of that evidence in subsequent proceedings ............................... 11

Division 4--Miscellaneous                                                                                        12

15.......... Discretion to exclude evidence .......................................................... 12

16.......... Variation or revocation of orders ...................................................... 12

17.......... Courts may exercise certain powers in chambers .............................. 12

18.......... Operation of other laws ..................................................................... 13

19.......... Rules of court .................................................................................... 13

Part 3--Use of foreign material in criminal and related civil proceedings              14

Division 1--Preliminary                                                                                             14

20.......... Proceedings to which this Part applies .............................................. 14

Division 2--Obtaining foreign material                                                            15

21.......... Requests for foreign material ............................................................ 15

22.......... Requirements for testimony .............................................................. 15

23.......... Form of testimony ............................................................................. 15

Division 3--Using foreign material                                                                      16

24.......... Foreign material may be adduced as evidence ................................... 16

25.......... Discretion to prevent foreign material being adduced--general ........ 16

25A....... Discretion to prevent foreign material being adduced--proceedings for designated offences   17

Division 4--Miscellaneous                                                                                        19

26.......... Certificates relating to requests made to foreign countries ................. 19

27.......... Operation of other laws ..................................................................... 19

Part 4--Use of foreign material and records of foreign business authorities in certain civil proceedings                                                                                                                                       20

Division 1--Preliminary                                                                                             20

28.......... Proceedings to which this Part applies .............................................. 20

Division 2--Obtaining foreign material                                                            21

29.......... Requests for foreign material ............................................................ 21

30.......... Requirements for testimony .............................................................. 21

31.......... Form of testimony ............................................................................. 21

Division 3--Using foreign material                                                                      22

32.......... Foreign material may be adduced as evidence ................................... 22

33.......... Discretion to prevent foreign material being adduced ........................ 22

Division 4--Records of foreign business authorities                                  23

34.......... Evidence of records of foreign business authorities .......................... 23

Division 5--Miscellaneous                                                                                        24

35.......... Certificates relating to foreign material .............................................. 24

36.......... Operation of other laws ..................................................................... 24

Part 5--Authenticating foreign public documents                                           25

37.......... Certificates attached to foreign public documents .............................. 25

38.......... Foreign public documents not requiring legalisation ......................... 25

39.......... Lesser formalities for authentication etc. ........................................... 26

Part 6--Taking evidence for proceedings in foreign courts                       27

40.......... Application of this Part ..................................................................... 27

41.......... Exercise of powers under this Part .................................................... 27

42.......... Orders ............................................................................................... 27

43.......... Copies etc. of documents .................................................................. 28

44.......... Intervention ....................................................................................... 28

45.......... Injunctions ........................................................................................ 28

Part 7--Miscellaneous                                                                                                        30

46.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 30

Schedule--Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents                                                                                                                                       31

Notes                                                                                                                                              37

An Act about certain evidentiary matters involving overseas jurisdictions

  

Notes to the Foreign Evidence Act 1994

Note 1

The Foreign Evidence Act 1994 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 59, 1994 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For application, saving or transitional provisions made by the Corporations (Repeals, Consequentials and Transitionals) Act 2001, see Act No. 55, 2001.

For all other relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Foreign Evidence Act 1994	59, 1994	9 Apr 1994	Part 3 (ss. 20-27): 9 Oct 1994 Part 5 (ss. 37-39): 16 Mar 1995 (see Gazette 1995, No. GN8) Remainder: Royal Assent
Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999	146, 1999	11 Nov 1999	Schedule 1 (item 491): 5 Dec 1999 (see Gazette 1999, No. S584) (a)	--
Federal Magistrates (Consequential Amendments) Act 1999	194, 1999	23 Dec 1999	Schedule 14: 23 Dec 1999 (b)	--
Corporations (Repeals, Consequentials and Transitionals) Act 2001	55, 2001	28 June 2001	Ss. 4-14 and Schedule 3 (items 201-205): 15 July 2001 (see Gazette 2001, No. S285) (c)	Ss. 4-14 [see Note 1]
Proceeds of Crime (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2002	86, 2002	11 Oct 2002	Ss. 1-3: Royal Assent Remainder: 1 Jan 2003 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 2002, GN44)	--
Crimes Legislation Enhancement Act 2003	41, 2003	3 June 2003	Schedule 2 (item 7): Royal Assent	--
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Video Link Evidence and Other Measures) Act 2005	136, 2005	15 Nov 2005	16 Nov 2005	--
ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2006	54, 2006	19 June 2006	Schedule 1 (item 15): 20 June 2006	--
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Marking of Plastic Explosives) Act 2007	3, 2007	19 Feb 2007	Schedules 1-3: 25 Aug 2007 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Foreign Evidence Amendment Act 2010	55, 2010	3 June 2010	4 June 2010	Sch. 1 (items 15, 16, 18, 19)
Crimes Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 2011	174, 2011	5 Dec 2011	Schedule 2 (items 195-197): 1 Jan 2012	Sch. 2 (item 197)

(a)     The Foreign Evidence Act 1994 was amended by Schedule 1 (item 491) only of the Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999, subsections 2(1) and (2) of which provide as follows:

                 (1)   In this Act, commencing time means the time when the Public Service Act 1999 commences.

                 (2)   Subject to this section, this Act commences at the commencing time.

(b)     The Foreign Evidence Act 1994 was amended by Schedule 14 only of the Federal Magistrates (Consequential Amendments) Act 1999, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act commences on the commencement of the Federal Magistrates Act 1999.

(c)     The Foreign Evidence Act 1994 was amended by Schedule 3 (items 201-205) only of the Corporations (Repeals, Consequentials and Transitionals) Act 2001, subsection 2(3) of which provides as follows:

                 (3)   Subject to subsections (4) to (10), Schedule 3 commences, or is taken to have commenced, at the same time as the Corporations Act 2001.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
S. 3......................................	am. No. 55, 2001; No. 86, 2002; No. 136, 2005; No. 54, 2006; No. 3, 2007; No. 55, 2010
Part 2
Division 2
Heading to Div. 2 of Part 2........................................	rs. No. 194, 1999
S. 9A...................................	ad. No. 194, 1999
Heading to s. 10................	am. No. 194, 1999
S. 12....................................	am. No. 194, 1999
Division 4
Ss. 15-17............................	am. No. 194, 1999
Part 3
Division 1
S. 20....................................	am. No. 136, 2005; No. 55, 2010
Division 2
S. 22....................................	am. No. 41, 2003; No. 55, 2010
S. 23....................................	am. No. 55, 2010
Division 3
S. 24....................................	am. No. 55, 2010
Heading to s. 25................	am. No. 136, 2005
Note to s. 25(1)..................	ad. No. 136, 2005
S. 25A.................................	ad. No. 136, 2005
	am. No. 174, 2011
Note to s. 25A(2)................	ad. No. 174, 2011
Division 4
Heading to s. 26................	am. No. 55, 2010
S. 26....................................	am. No. 146, 1999; No. 55, 2010
Part 4
Division 1
S. 28....................................	am. No. 55, 2001
Division 2
S. 29....................................	am. No. 55, 2001
Division 5
S. 35....................................	am. No. 55, 2001
Part 7
S. 46....................................	am. No. 194, 1999

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Foreign Evidence Amendment Act 2010 (No. 55, 2010)

Schedule 1

15  Application of amendment made by item 7

The amendment made by item 7 of this Schedule applies in relation to testimony taken before or after the commencement of this item that is adduced on or after the commencement of this item.

16  Application of amendments made by items 10 and 11

The amendments made by items 10 and 11 of this Schedule apply in relation to foreign material obtained before or after the commencement of this item that is adduced on or after the commencement of this item.

18  Application of amendments made by items 13 and 14

The amendments made by items 13 and 14 of this Schedule apply in relation to a certificate that:

                     (a)  is given on or after the commencement of this item; and

                     (b)  relates to a document or thing obtained as a result of a request made before or after the commencement of this item.

19  Transitional and application provision--proceedings in a court of a State or Territory

(1)       Despite the amendments made by this Schedule, Part 3 of the Foreign Evidence Act 1994 continues to apply to a proceeding mentioned in subsection 20(2) of that Act as if those amendments had not been made.

(2)       However, if the regulations provide that those amendments apply to such a proceeding in a court of a particular State or Territory, Part 3 of that Act, as amended by this Schedule, applies to that proceeding.

(3)       The Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of subitem (2).

Crimes Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 2011 (No. 174, 2011)

Schedule 2

197  Application of amendments--the Foreign Evidence Act 1994

(1)       The amendments of the Foreign Evidence Act 1994 made by items 195 and 196 of this Schedule apply as set out in this item.

(2)       The amendments apply in relation to proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 started before, at or after the commencement of those items.

(3)       The amendments apply under subitem (2) of this item regardless of whether the conduct giving rise to those proceedings occurred, or is suspected to have occurred, before, at or after the commencement of those items.