201.This section repeals section 69 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. For a document produced by a computer to be used as evidence in a criminal trial, section 69 required it to be accompanied by proof that the computer was operating properly and was not used improperly.
202.Following the repeal, the ordinary law on evidence will apply to computer evidence. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the courts will presume that the computer system was working properly. If there is evidence that it may not have been, the party seeking to introduce the evidence will need to prove that it was working.
Commentary on Sections Part II: Giving of evidence or information for purposes of criminal proceedings Chapter VI: Restrictions on use of evidence Section 60: Removal of restriction on use of evidence from computer records