Documentary evidence
Definition
Any document produced before a court to prove the truth of its contents. The category includes paper documents, electronic records, photographs, audio recordings, and video footage. Authentication of the document's origin and integrity is a precondition of admission.
Related terms
- Chain of custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Circumstantial evidence
- Evidence that requires an inference to connect it to the fact in dispute. A forensic finding such as DNA concordance between a...
- Oral evidence
- Testimony given in court by a witness under oath or affirmation. The witness speaks directly to the facts within their personal knowledge....
- Primary evidence
- The best available form of a document, ordinarily the original itself. Under BSA 2023, electronic records certified under Section 63 are treated...
- Real evidence
- A physical object produced for inspection by the court. Examples include weapons, seized drugs, biological samples, and fingerprint lifts. Real evidence requires...
Explained in
- Types of Evidence: Oral, Documentary and RealAny document produced before a court to prove the truth of its contents. The category includes paper documents, electronic records, photographs, audio recordin...