Zambia Act or statute

Zambia legislation

Authentication of Documents Act, 1914

This section gives the Act its short title: the Authentication of Documents Act. This section defines “authentication” and “document” for the Act. Documents executed outside Zambia are treated as…

affidavitsauthenticationcross-border documentsdocument authentication

Publicly available, excluded from search-engine indexing

This page remains available for direct research for the following reasons:

  • The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (market-indexing-disabled)
  • The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (emergency-noindex)

Professional statute overview

Enactment structure, operative effect and source provenance

Official source

01

Purpose and legislative effect

“This section gives the Act its short title: the Authentication of Documents Act.”

This section gives the Act its short title: the Authentication of Documents Act. This section defines “authentication” and “document” for the Act. Documents executed outside Zambia are treated as sufficiently authenticated for use in Zambia if they meet the listed authentication methods. A document for use in Zambia can be authenticated by a magistrate’s signed statement if the document was executed in Her Britannic Majesty’s dominions and the related property is worth no more than four hundred kwacha. An affidavit sworn and attested before a Commissioner of the High Court outside Zambia needs no further authentication and may be used wherever affidavits are admissible.

02

How the instrument operates

  1. 01

    Start with the recorded version

    As at 31 Dec 1996. The date shown identifies this source expression and should not be treated as proof that no later change exists.

  2. 02

    Locate the controlling provision

    Use the provision map, part headings and full-text filter to move from the broad subject to the exact legal language.

  3. 03

    Read conditions and exceptions together

    Keep subsections, definitions, provisos and cross-references in context before drawing a legal conclusion.

  4. 04

    Verify currency and official wording

    Confirm later legislation, commencement notices and corrections with the official publisher before advice, filing or reliance.

03

Research entry points

Selected provisions across the instrument. Open any row to continue with the exact stored text.

04

Source and current-law status

Source record view

Source record from zambialii.org · As at 31 Dec 1996

Verify current force

The source record does not state a definitive current-law status. Check the official publisher and later amendments before relying on this text.

Source-indexed provision map

Sections and provisions

Search by section, heading, part or exact legal wording. Every result remains linked to the stored source record.

Showing 5 of 5 provisions

Amendment 4Short title
§ 1Short title ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Short title

This section gives the Act its short title: the Authentication of Documents Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Authentication of Documents Act.
§ 2Interpretation .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Amendment

This section defines “authentication” and “document” for the Act.

2. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— "authentication", when applied to a document, means the verification of any signature thereon; "document" means any deed, contract, power of attorney, affidavit, or other writing, but does not include an affidavit sworn before a Commissioner of the High Court. [As amended by S.I. No. 72 of 1964]
§ 3How documents executed outside Zambia are to be authenticated ........................................................................................... 1Amendment

Documents executed outside Zambia are treated as sufficiently authenticated for use in Zambia if they meet the listed authentication methods.

3. How documents executed outside Zambia are to be authenticated Any document executed outside Zambia shall be deemed to be sufficiently authenticated for the purpose of use in Zambia if— (a) (b) (c) (d) in the case of a document executed in Great Britain or Ireland it be duly authenticated by a notary public under his signature and seal of office; in the case of a document executed in any part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions outside the United Kingdom it be duly authenticated by the signature and seal of office of the mayor of any town or of a notary public or of the permanent head of any Government Department in any such part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions; in the case of document executed in any of Her Britannic Majesty's territories or protectorates in Africa it be duly authenticated by the signature and seal of office of any notary, magistrate, permanent head of a Government Department, Resident Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner in or of any such territory or protectorate; in the case of a document executed in any place outside Her Britannic Majesty's dominions (hereinafter referred to as a "foreign place") it be duly authenticated by the signature and seal of office— (i) of a British Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul in such foreign place; or (ii) of any Secretary of State, Under-Secretary of State, Governor, Colonial Secretary, or of any other person in such foreign place who shall be shown by the certificate of a Consul or Vice- By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 1 Authentication of Documents Act, 1914 (Chapter 75) Zambia Consul of such foreign place in Zambia to be duly authorised under the law of such foreign place to authenticate such document. [As amended by No. 42 of 1957; G.N. No. 222 of 1964 and S.I. No. 72 of 1964]

Part

part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions;

§ 4Authentication by magistrate in Her Britannic Majesty's dominions ........................................................................................... 2Amendment

A document for use in Zambia can be authenticated by a magistrate’s signed statement if the document was executed in Her Britannic Majesty’s dominions and the related property is worth no more than four hundred kwacha.

4. Authentication by magistrate in Her Britannic Majesty's dominions Notwithstanding anything in the last preceding section contained, it shall be sufficient authentication of a document executed in any part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions for use in Zambia which affects or relates to property not exceeding in value or amount four hundred kwacha if there be appended to or endorsed on such document a statement signed by a magistrate of the part of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions in which such document is executed— (a) that the person executing such document is a person known to him; or (b) that two other persons known to him have severally testified before him that the person executing such document is a person known to each of them. [As amended by S.I. No. 72 of 1964]
§ 5Saving as to affidavit sworn before a Commissioner of the High Court .................................................................................... 2Amendment

An affidavit sworn and attested before a Commissioner of the High Court outside Zambia needs no further authentication and may be used wherever affidavits are admissible.

5. Saving as to affidavit sworn before a Commissioner of the High Court An affidavit sworn before and attested by a Commissioner of the High Court beyond the confines of Zambia shall require no further authentication and may be used in all cases and matters in which affidavits are admissible as freely as if it had been duly made and sworn to within Zambia. [As amended by S.I. No. 72 of 1964] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 2

Legislative relationships

2 referenced instruments

Names are derived from the stored provision headings and citation-enrichment layer. Treat this as a research index and verify each relationship against the source text.

A–F

2 instruments

  • Documents Act

    Section 1
  • Documents Act, 1914

    Section 3

Recorded versions and source checkpoint

1 version available in this collection

Current-law checkpoint
  • 31 Dec 1996 · currentEnglish

Source-linked research

Ask AI about this statute

The overview, provisions, and source records above are public. Continue in a separate conversation with this statute’s jurisdiction and source version attached.

About this LexChat collection

Statute information is organised from identified legislative sources for professional research. Corrections can be reported to hello@esheria.ai.