WEEK1-4 CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLE OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

Document

Any material containing marks, symbols, or signs that may convey meaning, including writing, typing, or printing.

Questioned Document

A document in which the facts may not be true, contested regarding authenticity, identity, or origin.

Exemplars

Legally admissible samples of handwriting used for comparison with questioned writing.

Standard Document

A document with a known origin that can be used as a sample for comparison.

Disputed Document

A term suggesting controversy over a document, often used interchangeably with questioned document.

Criminalistic Examination

Involves detection of forgery, erasure, alteration, or obliteration of documents.

Handwriting Investigation

Focused analysis to determine the authorship of handwriting.

Infrared Examination

Employs invisible radiation to analyze documents and identify hidden marks or changes.

Ultra-violet Examination

Uses UV light to reveal remnants of writing or alterations in documents.

Stereoscopic Binocular Microscope

A microscope providing three-dimensional images of specimens for detailed examination.

Magnifying Lens

A lens with enhancing power, used to examine minute details in documents.

Document Examiner

A specialist who studies details and elements of documents to identify source or discover facts.

Legal Recognition

Acknowledgment that electronic documents have the same legal effect as traditional documents.

Forgery

The act of falsifying documents with the intent to deceive.

Falsification of a Public Document

The crime committed when a private document is falsified intended to form part of the public record.

Erasure

The act of removing writing from a document, potentially altering its authenticity.

Transmitted Light Examination

A method of examining documents by shining light through them to detect alterations.

Oblique Light Examination

An examination technique using low-angle light to reveal details in documents.

Scientific Methods in QDE

Procedures like analysis, comparison, and evaluation used in questioned document examination.

Chain of Custody

The process of maintaining and documenting physical evidence to ensure its integrity.