Facts to which judicial notice is to be taken

Every judge shall take judicial notice of the following facts– (a) all unwritten laws, rules and principles having the force of law administered by any court in Belize; 11 (b) all general customs which have been held to have the force of law in the Supreme Court; (c) all public Acts of Parliament, and all Acts of Parliament what ever passed after the year 1850, unless the contrary is expressly provided in any of those Acts; (d) all publications, Acts and laws of Belize, unless the contrary is expressly provided in any of the publications, Acts or laws; (e) all Orders of the Governor-General, and all rules, by-laws and instruments respectively made or approved by the Governor-General and National Assembly, or by the National Assembly or by either House thereof, or by the Governor-General or by any other body or person under statutory authority; (f) the general course of proceeding by and privileges of, the National Assembly, or by either House thereof, and the date and place of its sittings, but not transactions in its journals or minutes of (g) the course of procedure and all rules of practice in force in the Supreme Court, and of the course of procedure and rules of practice of all courts of limited or inferior jurisdiction prescribed under statutory authority; (h) the accession and the sign manual of the Government of Belize; (i) the existence and title of every State and Sovereign recognised by the Government of Belize; 12 (j) the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, the public seal of Belize, the Privy Seal, the seals of the superior courts of justice in the United Kingdom, and the seal of the Supreme Court; (k) the accession to office, name, title, functions and, when attached to any judgment, decree, order, certificate or other judicial or official document, the signature of the Chief Justice of Belize or of any puisne judge thereof; (l) the signature and seal of any mayor or other chief officer of any city or corporate town within the United Kingdom, the signature and seal of the Governor-General or other officer administering the government, or of the Chief or senior Justice of any court of record of any Commonwealth country, the signature and seal of any ambassador, minister, consul-general, consul, vice-consul or consular officer appointed by the Government of Belize at any foreign port or place, Provided that that signature and seal shall be subscribed and affixed to any certificate or declaration purporting to legalise those deeds, letters of attorney, powers, procurations, affidavits, affirmations, declarations, contracts or agreements or other instruments in writing, which are hereinafter mentioned; (m) the signature and seal of any notary public in the any British territory or possession or any Commonwealth country; (n) the signature and seal of any justice of the peace or other officer authorised by law to administer an oath in Belize, when subscribed and affixed to any certificate or attestation of any declaration made before that justice or other officer under and by virtue of any law for the time being in force; 13 (o) the London Gazette and the Government Gazette of any Commonwealth country; (p) the extent of Commonwealth countries, the divisions for any public purposes of Belize, but not their geographical position or the situation of particular places, the commencement, continuance and termination of war between Belize and any other Sovereign or State, and all other public matters directly concerning the general government of Commonwealth countries; (q) the ordinary course of nature, natural and artificial divisions of time, and the meaning of English words; and (r) all other matters which a judge is directed by any statute to notice.