Indian Evidence Act, 1872

57. Facts of which Court must take judicial notice

The Court shall take judicial notice of the following facts:-

³⁴ [(1) All laws in force in the territory of India :]

 (2) All public Acts passed or hereafter to be passed by Parliament ³⁵[of the United Kingdom], and all local and personal Acts directed by Parliament ³⁵[of the United Kingdom] to be judicially noticed;

 (3) Articles of War for ³⁶[ the Indian ] Army ³⁷[Navy or Air Force];

³⁸ [(4) The course of proceeding of Parliament of the United Kingdom, of the Constituent Assembly of India, of Parliament and of the legislatures established under any laws for the time being in force in a Province or in the States; ]

(5) The accession and the sign manual of the Sovereign for the time being of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ;

(6) All seals of which English Courts take judicial notice: the seals of all the ³⁹[Courts in ⁴⁰[India]] and of all Courts out of ⁴⁰[India] established by the authority of ⁴¹[the Central Government or the Crown Representative]; the seals of Courts of Admiralty and Maritime Jurisdiction and of Notaries Public, and all seals which any person is authorized to use by ⁴²[the Constitution or an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom or an] Act or Regulation having the force of law in ⁴⁰[India]

(7) The accession to office, names, titles, functions and signatures of the persons filling for the time being any public office in any State, if the fact of their appointment to such office is notified in ⁴³[any Official Gazette];

(8) The existence, title and national flag of every State or Sovereign recognized by ⁴⁴[the Government of India];

(9) The divisions of time, the geographical divisions of the world, and public festivals, fasts and holidays notified in the Official Gazette;

(10) The territories under the dominion of ⁴⁴[ the Government of India];

(11) The commencement, continuance, and termination of hostilities between ⁴⁴[the Government of India] and any other State or body of persons;

(12) 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 or all advocates, attorneys, proctors, vakils, pleaders and other persons authorized by law to appear or act before it;

(13) The rule of the road ⁴⁵[ on land or at sea].

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.

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 such person produces any such book or document as it may consider necessary to enable it to do so.

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