The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act 1891: A brief overview

The Banker's Book Evidence Act 1891

The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, of 1891, a piece of legislation from the British colonial era in India, is still in effect and hasn’t altered much through the years. In banking institutions, records have been kept since the beginning. Such establishments must follow the record-keeping procedure. The ledger books, account books, etc. that serve as the primary storage for these documents are known as bankers’ books.

The legislature adopted the Banker Books, Evidence Bill on October 1st, 1891. This Act’s primary goal was to implement in India the prerequisites of the 1879 English Bankers’ Books Evidence Act. The Information Technology Act of 2000 revised this statute to contemplate the usage of computer systems in banking organizations to retain records rather than paper. This article talks about the meaning, the importance of the bankers’ books evidence act 1891, its amendments, and recent judgments.

Historical overview

At the end of the 19th century, India’s banking industry was expanding significantly. The Bankers’ Books, Evidence Bill received legislative approval on October 1st, 1891. The initial purpose of this statute was to carry out the terms of the English Bankers’ Books Evidence Act of 1879 in India. To amend the Law of Evidence concerning bankers’ books, this rule was put into place in England. In all legal processes conducted under this Act, manuscript access to the bankers’ books, including transactions and invoices, must be considered at the first appearance as proof of such access.

Definitions

Section 2 of this Act characterizes the following;