Questioned Document
Examination
Document
Any material that contain marks, symbols or signs either visible or partially
visible or invisible that may ultimately convey a meaning or message to
someone, is considered as a document. A document can be:
A paper, wood, wall, stone pieces, glass pieces etc. or may be anything.
And the writing instrument to produce a document may be a pen, pencil,
marker, charcoal piece, lipstick, typewriter or anything.
Documents
Questioned Document
Any document which is under question on the basis of its
authenticity/genuineness, is known as a questioned document.
Terms related to QDE
Questioned document examiner
Standard sample
Questioned sample
Real document
A Document which has no element of forgery and does not have any signs of
any alteration and has been issued by the competent authority stands genuine
till challenged. e.g.
An educational certificate issued by the competent authority.
A cheque written/signed by the holder of the cheque books etc.
Paperless document
Documents may be paper less. When no paper is involved the document will
be paperless.
a) Writing on wall
b) Suicide note on a mirror written with soap
c) The name of the murderer written with blood on his thigh /leg.
Forged document
A forged document is one where forgery has been explained by the document
expert with sufficient and sound reasons.
Forged documents are made by
i) Any alteration
ii) Any addition
iii) Erasures
iv) Transplantation
v) A has signed for B, without his knowledge
Principles of Forensic Document
Examination
Individuality
Natural variations
Personal features
General qualities
Writing habits
Individual characteristics
Factors affecting handwriting
Fatigue
Illness
Age
Writing materials
Writing position
Physical disturbance
Writing with the hand other than the one normally used
Emotional disturbance
Lack of concentration during the writing period
Influence of drinks or drugs etc.
Care & handling of QDs
QD should be preserved as far as possible in exactly the same condition it is in
when suspected
Should not be cut, torn, mutilated in any manner with slightest degree
Should not be touched with an eraser or pen, pencil or any kind of sharp object
Should not be folded in any new place; & not be folded/unfolded unnecessarily
should not be wet nor dampened
A folded document of any kind should be unfolded and kept flat in a suitable
envelope
Small disputed documents, such as cheques, notes should be kept unfolded in
suitable envelope
Care & handling of QDs
should not be exposed to moisture, strong sunlight and should not be carried
in the pocket
Should not be left uncovered
Protect the document carefully from excessive light, heat and moisture, as
such exposure may seriously affect ink conditions.
Fasten the pieces together at the margins in case of torn or mutilated
The court stenographer should especially be cautioned not to write, paste a
label, or put a rubber stamp impression on it at any place where there is
writing on either side of the paper.
Classes of questioned documents/Case
types
Documents with questioned signatures.
Documents containing alleged fraudulent alterations.
Holograph documents questioned or disputed.
Documents attacked on the question of their age or date.
Documents attacked on the question of materials used in
their production.
Classes of questioned documents/Case
types
Documents investigated on the question of typewriting:
With a view to ascertaining their source.
With a view to determining their date.
Documents or writings investigated because they identify
some person through handwriting
Anonymous and disputed letters.
Superscriptions, registrations and miscellaneous writings.
Problems/limitations
Non-original evidence (such as photocopies or faxes)
Insufficient quantity & quality of questioned material
Insufficient known specimens submitted for comparison
Lack of comparability between the questioned documents and
the known samples
Lack of contemporaneous writings submitted for comparison
Distortion or disguised writing
Scientific methods used in QDE
Destructive & non-destructive methods are used:
Microscope
UV light source
IR light source
ESDA Electrostatic detection apparatus
VSC Video spectral comparator
Paper & Liquid chromatography
Scope of QDE
Commercial & Employment Litigation- Guarantees, Contracts,
Promissory Notes, Receipts, Invoices, Facsimile, Photocopies
Banking, Mortgage & Property Fraud- Cheques, Account Mandates,
Credit Vouchers, Travellers Cheques, Legal Charges, Credit Agreements,
Transfer Deeds
Probate- Powers of Attorney, Wills
Intellectual property- Designs, Plans, Manufacturing Records
Scope of QDE
Defamation and libel- Anonymous Communications
Professional & Medical Negligence- Medical Records, Hospital Notes,
Attendance Notes
Shipping- Logs, Charts, Bills of Lading
Asset Tracing- Bank Records
Other documents- Personal documents etc.
American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) standards
Establish genuineness or non-genuineness, or to expose forgery, or to reveal
alterations, additions or deletions,
Identify or eliminate persons as the source of handwriting,
Identify or eliminate the source of typewriting or other impression, marks, or
relative evidence, and
Write reports or give testimony, when needed, to aid the users of the
examiner’s services in understanding the examiner’s findings.
ACE-V
A- Analysis
C- Comparison
E- Evaluation
Inclusion
Exclusion
Inconclusive
V- Verification
Preliminary examination of QDs
Is the signature in a natural position?
Does the signature touched the other writings? Or was it written last?
Are there remains of pencil or carbon marks which may have been an outline
for the signature of other writings?
Is the signature shown in an embossed form on the back of the sheet?
Are the writings written before the paper was folded?
Is the signature written before or after the paper was folded?
Preliminary examination of QDs
Is more than one kind of ink used in the preparation of the document?
Are the several sheets of the document exactly the same sizes, thickness and
colors?
Is the paper burned or mutilated in any way?
Is the paper unnecessary soiled or crumpled?
Does the document contain abrasion, chemical or pencil erasures, alterations
or substitutions of any kind when viewed by transmitted light?
Preliminary examination of QDs
Has the document been wet in any way and if so, for what purpose?
If typewritten, are the contents of the document all written on the same
machine?
Was each sheet written continuously at one time without being removed from
the typewriter?
Are there added figures, words, clauses, sentences, paragraphs or pages
written on a different typewriter?
Preliminary examination of QDs
If the document is a carbon copy, does it conform in the size, position, and
arrangement of matters with original letterheads?
If the document is a letter, does postmark, postage stamps, manner of sealing
and opening of envelope have any significance?
Are there indentations in the paper from handwriting or typewriting on a
sheet placed above the paper examined?
Is the rubber-stamp impression if any appears made from a genuine stamp?
Albert Sherman Osborn
Questioned Documents, 1910
Founded American Society of Questioned
Document Examiners (ASQDE), 1942
Involved in famous case:
Lindbergh kidnapping case
