Section 14 | Certificates.

(1)A certificate of the Defence Council or of an officer designated by the Defence Council as to the duration of a person’s whole-time service is conclusive for the purposes of any proceedings before, or on appeal from, a Reinstatement Committee.

(2)Every document purporting to be such a certificate, or any other certificate authorised by this Act and to be signed by or on behalf of—

(a)the Secretary of State, or

(b)in Northern Ireland, the Department of Economic Development, or

(c)the Defence Council or an officer designated by the Defence Council,

shall be received in evidence, and shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to be such a certificate of the Secretary of State, or of the Department of Economic Development, or of the Defence Council, as the case may be.

(3)In any proceedings before, or on appeal from, a Reinstatement Committee, the production of a document—

(a)which purports to be certified by or on behalf of—

(i)the Secretary of State, or

(ii)in Northern Ireland, the Department of Economic Development, or

(iii)the Defence Council, and

(b)which purports to be a true copy of any such certificate as is mentioned in subsection (2),

shall, unless the contrary is proved, be sufficient evidence of the certificate.