Authorised versions

An authorised version of an Act or a statutory rule is authorised to be admissible as evidence in court.

An authorised version of an Act or a statutory rule is a version that the Chief Parliamentary Counsel has authorised.

On being authorised, that version has the same evidentiary value as a hard copy Act or statutory rule printed by the Government Printer. See section 64 of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984.

An authorised electronic version has the following features:

  • the words "Authorised Version" appearing at the beginning of the version
  • the words "Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel" appearing at the foot of each page of the version.
  • a digital signature stating that the version is authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel