Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

QUARANTINE ACT 1908 - SECT 86DA

Appointment of analyst

             (1)  The Secretary may appoint a person to be an analyst for the purposes of this Act.

Analyst's certificate to be evidence

             (2)  Subject to subsection (4), in any proceedings for an offence against this Act, a certificate of an analyst in a form approved by a Director of Quarantine stating, in respect of any substance or thing in relation to which the offence is alleged to have been committed, all or any of the following matters:

                     (a)  that the analyst signing the certificate is appointed under subsection (1);

                     (b)  when and from whom the substance or thing was received;

                     (c)  what, if any, labels or other means of identifying the substance or thing accompanied it when it was received;

                     (d)  what container or containers the substance or thing was contained in when it was received;

                     (e)  a description, and the weight, of the substance or thing received;

                      (f)  when the substance or thing, or a portion of it, was analysed;

                     (g)  a description of the method of analysis;

                     (h)  the results of the analysis;

                      (i)  how the substance or thing was dealt with after handling by the analyst, including details of:

                              (i)  the quantity retained; and

                             (ii)  the name of the person, if any, to whom any retained quantity was given; and

                            (iii)  measures taken to secure any retained quantity;

is admissible as prima facie evidence of the matters in the certificate and of the correctness of the result of the analysis.

Proof of certificate

             (3)  For the purposes of this section, a document purporting to be a certificate referred to in subsection (2) is, unless the contrary is established, to be taken to be such a certificate and to have been duly given.

Copy of certificate to be given to defendant or defendant's solicitor

             (4)  A certificate must not be admitted in evidence under subsection (2) in proceedings for an offence unless the person charged with the offence or a solicitor who has appeared for the person in those proceedings has, at least 14 days before the certificate is sought to be so admitted, been given a copy of the certificate together with reasonable notice of the intention to produce the certificate as evidence in the proceedings.

Analyst may be required to attend for cross-examination

             (5)  Subject to subsection (6), if, under subsection (2), a certificate of an analyst is admitted in evidence in proceedings for an offence, the person charged with the offence may require the analyst to be called as a witness for the prosecution and the analyst may be cross-examined as if he or she had given evidence of the matters stated in the certificate.

Notice to be given to prosecutor

             (6)  Subsection (5) does not entitle a person to require an analyst to be called as a witness for the prosecution unless:

                     (a)  the prosecutor has been given at least 4 days notice of the person's intention to require the analyst to be so called; or

                     (b)  the Court, by order, allows the person to require the analyst to be so called.