600.2118a Foreign records and laws; evidence; copies, certification.

490 words·~2 min read·/mi/chapter-600/600-2118a

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Sec. 2118a.

(1)An official record kept within the United States, or any state, district, commonwealth, territory, insular possession thereof, or the Panama Canal zone, the trust territory of the Pacific islands or the Ryukyu islands, or an entry therein, when admissible for any purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication thereof or by a copy attested by the officer having the legal custody of the record, or by his deputy, and accompanied by a certificate that the officer has the custody. The certificate may be made by a judge of a court of record having jurisdiction in the governmental unit in which the record is kept, authenticated by the seal of the court, or by any public officer having a seal of office and having official duties in the governmental unit in which the record is kept, authenticated by the seal of his office.

(2)A foreign official record, or an entry therein, when admissible, for any purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication or copy thereof, attested by a person authorized to make the attestation, and accompanied by a final certification as to the genuineness of the signature and official position of the attesting person, or of any foreign official whose certificate of genuineness of signature and official position either relates to the attestation or is in a chain of certificates of genuineness of signature and official position relating to the attestation. A final certification may be made by a secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice consul, or consular agent of the United States, or a diplomatic or consular official of the foreign country assigned or accredited to the United States. If reasonable opportunity has been given to all parties to investigate the authenticity and accuracy of the documents, the court, for good cause shown, may admit an attested copy without final certification or permit the foreign official record to be evidenced by an attested summary with or without a final certification.

(3)The statutes, codes, written laws, executive acts or legislative or judicial proceedings of any domestic or foreign jurisdiction or governmental unit thereof may also be evidenced by any publication proved to be commonly accepted as proof thereof in the tribunals having jurisdiction in that governmental unit.

(4)A written statement that after diligent search no record or entry of a specified tenor is found to exist in the records designated by the statement, authenticated as provided in this act in the case of a domestic record, or complying with the requirements of this act for a summary in the case of a record in a foreign country, is admissible as evidence that the records contain no such record or entry.

(5)The proof of official records of entry or lack of entry therein may be made by any other method authorized by law.

History: Add. 1967, Act 178, Eff. Nov. 2, 1967