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Parent Memorandum on Certification September 20, 1946
Date 20 September 1946
Language
Collection Tavenner Papers & IMTFE Official Records
Box Box 3
Folder General Memorandums and Reports from September 1946
Repository University of Virginia Law Library
INTERNATIONAL PROSECUTION SECTION MEMORANDUM TO: ALL ATTORNEYS FROM: EUGENE D. WILLIAMS SUBJECT: Certification of documents DATE: 20 September 1946 Your attention is called to the fact that under Article 13 c. (1) of the charter a document which appears to the Tribunal to have been signed or issued by any officer, department, agency or member of the armed forces of any government is admissible without proof of its issuance or signature. Under these circumstances, it appears that it is unnecessary to have certificates on documents which are official documents of any agency of any government in cases where it otherwise appears upon the face of such documents that they are of the character described in the Charter. This was so ruled on June 4 by the Tribunal (R. F. 379). In view of the large amount of additional labor required to obtain certificates and to process them, it is desired that no certificates be requested of any documents which without certificates appear on their face to be of the character above described. The individual attorneys will have the burden of determining as to whether documents should or should not be certified. It is suggested that in case of doubt, you confer with Captain Sandusky or the Chief of the Investigative Division, who through experience are equipped to be of some assistance to you in making this decision. Your attention is directed to the fact that Exhibit No. 448, introduced in evidence by Mr. Hauxhurst, is an inclusive certification of the authenticity of all issues of the Tokyo Gazette. It will, therefore, not be necessary to have any other or further certificate attached to any excerpt of the Tokyo Gazette which is offered in evidence, but the Court’s attention may be called to the fact that all Tokyo Gazettes have been authenticated by Exhibit No. 448. EUGENE D. WILLIAMS