Poisons Act 1971

Where the owner or buyer of a scheduled substance wishes to have the substance analysed or examined or a scheduled substance, prohibited substance, or prohibited plant is procured or seized under this Act, that substance or plant may be delivered personally or be forwarded by post or by any other convenient means to an analyst for analysis or examination.

Where a substance or plant is forwarded as referred to in subsection (1), a certificate purporting to be given by the person who forwarded the substance or plant to the effect that, at a specified time on a specified date and at a specified place, he forwarded the substance or plant by a specified means to an analyst in a sealed container for analysis or examination is admissible in evidence in proceedings for an offence under this Act as to those matters, unless the party against whom the certificate is tendered has given notice in writing to the other party, at least 4 days before the hearing of the proceedings, that he requires the person to be called as a witness in the proceedings.

Where an analyst receives a sealed container containing a substance or plant for analysis or examination, a certificate purporting to be given by him to the effect that, at a specified time on a specified date and at a specified place, he received the container with the seal unbroken is admissible in evidence as to those matters in proceedings for an offence under this Act and of the fact that the substance or plant was in the same state as it was in when it was forwarded to him for analysis or examination, unless the party against whom the certificate is tendered has given notice in writing to the other party, at least 4 days before the hearing of the proceedings, that he requires the analyst to be called as a witness in the proceedings.

A charge for postage or carriage shall be deemed to be one of the expenses of the analysis.