Document
Definition
Any matter expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks intended to be used for the purpose of recording that matter. BSA 2023 Section 2(1)(d) explicitly includes electronic and digital records.
- Definition scope
- Matter expressed on any substance by letters, figures, or marks
- Governing provision
- BSA 2023 Section 2(1)(d)
- Explicitly includes
- Electronic and digital records
- Jurisdiction
- India
Common questions
Why does the explicit inclusion of electronic records in the definition matter?+
It removes ambiguity over whether emails, digital files, or electronic messages qualify as documents for evidentiary purposes, so their admissibility is governed by the same document rules as paper records rather than left to separate interpretation.
How broad is the phrase 'any substance' in practice?+
It covers marks made on paper, metal, wood, or any physical or electronic medium capable of carrying intelligible marks, which is why the definition extends to inscriptions, photographs, and digital storage media alike.
Related terms
- Electronic Record
- Data generated, sent, received, or stored by electronic means, including emails, call data records, server logs, database entries, CCTV footage, and documents...
- Negotiable Instrument
- Defined under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 Section 13. Promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque payable to order or bearer.
- Private Document
- Defined under BSA 2023 Section 75. All documents other than public documents (personal letters, agreements, diaries, cheques in the hands of a...
- Public Document
- Defined under BSA 2023 Section 74. Records of sovereign authority, official bodies and public officers of India or a foreign country; public...
- Questioned Document (QD)
- Any document whose authenticity, source, age, sequence of preparation or content is in dispute and requires examination by a forensic expert.
- Security Feature
- Engineered element of a document (watermark, security thread, microprinting, intaglio, optically variable ink, latent image, fluorescent fibres) that frustrates forgery and supports...
- Standard or Exemplar
- A document of known origin used for comparison with a questioned document. May be requested (taken under controlled conditions) or collected (from...
- Watermark
- A pattern formed in paper during manufacture by localised fibre-density variation on the Fourdrinier wire; visible in transmitted light as a lighter...