(b) the importance of the matter concerned in relation to the proceedings and the need to do justice to the parties; and (c) the nature of the cause of action and the subject matter of the proceedings; and (d) any means available to limit the publication of the matter concerned, whether in terms of the Courts and Adjudicating Authorities (Publicity Restriction) Act [Chapter 7:04] or otherwise. (5) Any evidence given in contravention of this section shall be inadmissible. PART IV DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE 11 Admissibility of copies of documents Except as otherwise provided in this Act or any other enactment, a copy of a document shall not be admissible to prove the document’s contents, unless— (a) all the parties to the civil proceedings concerned consent to the production of the copy; or (b) the court in its discretion permits the production of the copy, being satisfied that the original document— (i) has been destroyed or is irretrievably lost; or (ii) is in the possession of another party to the civil proceedings, who refuses to produce the original document; or (iii) is in the possession of a person who cannot be required by law to produce the original; or (iv) is outside Zimbabwe; or (v) for any other good and sufficient cause, cannot reasonably or practicably be produced. 12 Public and official documents In this section— “public document” means a document— (a) which was made by a public officer pursuant to duty to ascertain the truth of the matters stated in the document and to make an accurate record thereof for public use; and (b) to which the public have a right of access; “public officer” means a person holding or acting in a paid office in the service of the State or a local authority. (2) A copy of or extract from a public document which is proved to be a true copy or extract or which purports to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by the official who has custody of the original, shall be admissible in evidence on its production by any person and shall be prima facie proof of the facts stated therein. (3) A copy of or extract from a document, other than a public document, which is in the custody of an official of the State by virtue of his office and which is proved to be a true copy or extract or which purports to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by the official who has custody of the original, shall be admissible in evidence on its production by any person. (4) An official who has custody of a public or other document referred to in subsection (2) or (3) may refuse to produce the original of that document in evidence unless— (a) a judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court orders its production; or (b) the Minister or head of the Ministry responsible for its custody authorizes its production. (5) No person who is subpoenaed or otherwise required to produce in evidence an original document referred to in subsection (2) or (3) need comply with the subpoena or requirement unless there is shown to him an order of a judge of the High Court or Supreme Court, or a copy of such an order, requiring him to produce the document, or unless the Minister or head of the Ministry responsible for the document’s custody authorizes the production. 13 Documents produced by computers (1) Subject to this section, a document produced by a computer shall be admissible as evidence of any fact stated therein if direct oral evidence of that fact would be admissible. (2) A document mentioned in subsection (1) shall be admissible if the party producing it proves that— (a) the document was produced by the computer during a period when the computer was used regularly to store or process information for the purposes of any activity regularly carried on over that period; and (b) over that period information of the kind contained in the document, or of the kind from which the information in the document is derived, was regularly supplied to the computer in the ordinary course of that activity; and (c) the information contained in the relevant part of the document reproduces or is derived from information supplied to the computer in the ordinary course of that activity; and (d) throughout the material part of that period the computer was operating properly or, if it was not, its failure to do so would not have affected the production of the document or the accuracy of its contents. (3) Where over a period the function of storing or processing information for the purposes of any activity was regularly performed by—