274 Sufficiency of proof of appointment to public office Any evidence which would, if credible, be considered in any criminal case depending in the Supreme Court of Judicature in England to be sufficient proof of the appointment of any person to any public office or of the authority of any person to act as a public officer shall, if credible, be deemed, in criminal cases in Zimbabwe, sufficient proof of such appointment or authority. H. Documentary evidence 275 Certified copies or extracts of documents admissible (1) When any book or other document is of such a public nature as to be admissible in evidence on its mere production from the proper custody, any copy thereof or extract therefrom shall be admissible in evidence in any court: Provided that such copy or extract shall not be admissible in evidence unless— (a) it is proved to be an examined copy or extract; or (b) it purports to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by the officer to whose custody the original is entrusted. [Subsection amended by section 28 of Act 9 of 2006.] (2) The officer to whose custody the original book or record is entrusted shall furnish a certified copy thereof or extract therefrom to any person applying at a reasonable time for the same upon payment of such sum as may be prescribed. 276 Production of official documents Any original document in the custody or under the control of any officer of the State by virtue of his office may be produced in any criminal proceedings before any court unless the Minister certifies in writing that it is undesirable that such original document should be so produced. [Section amended by section 28 of Act 9 of 2006.] 277 Copies of official documents sufficient (1) Except when the original is produced, as provided in section two hundred and seventy-six it shall be sufficient to produce a copy of or extract from a document described in that section certified as a true copy by the head of the Ministry, department or office in whose custody or under whose control such document is. (2) A copy or extract certified in terms of subsection (1) shall be admissible in evidence before any court and shall be of like effect as the original document. [Subsection amended by section 28 of Act 9 of 2006.] (3) It shall not be necessary for any head of a Ministry, department or office of the State to appear in person to produce any original document in his custody or under his control as such officer, but it shall be sufficient if such document is produced by some person authorized by him so to do. (4) Certified copies of or extracts from any document referred to in subsection (3) may be handed in to the court by the party who desires to avail himself of the same. (5) If any officer authorized or required by this Act to furnish any certified copies or extracts wil fully certifies any document as being a true copy or extract knowing that the same is not a true copy or extract, as the case may be, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a period not e xceeding two years. 278 Admissibility of affidavits in certain circumstances (1) In any criminal proceedings in which it is relevant to prove— (a) any fact ascertained by an examination or process requiring knowledge of or skill in bacteriology, chemistry, physics, microscopy, astronomy, mineralogy, anatomy, biology, haematology, histology, toxicology, physiology, ballistics, geography or the identification of finger-prints, palm-prints or footprints or any other knowledge or skill whatsoever; (b) any opinion relating to any fact ascertained by an examination or process referred to in paragraph (a); a document purporting to be an affidavit relating to any such examination or process and purporting to have been made by any person qualified to carry out such examination or process who in that affidavit states that such fact was ascertained by him or under his direction or supervision and that he arrived at such opinion, if any, stated therein shall, on its mere production in those proceedings by any person, but subject to subsections (11) and (12), be prima facie proof of the fact and of any opinion so stated. (2) In any criminal proceedings in which it is relevant to prove— (a) any fact ascertained by a medical practitioner in any examination carried out by him which is proper to the duties of a medical practitioner; (b) that any treatment, including the performance of an operation, was administered by a medical practitioner; (c) any opinion of a medical practitioner referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) relating to any fact or treatment referred to in that paragraph;