Introduction to Questioned Document

Introduction to Questioned Document

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  By NISHU VOLUNTEER OFAPPLIED FORENSIC RESEARCH SCIENCES
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  • What isQuestioned Documents? • History of Questioned Documents. • Methodology. • Common Types of Questioned Documents Subjected to Forensic Document Examination.
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  • Questioned DocumentExamination is a branch of forensic science that deals with documents having a suspicious authenticity. Also called as Forensic Document Examination, it involves the application of scientific methods and principals for document examination. This helps to produce evidence about a questioned document that is admissible in the court of law to prove its legitimacy. • Forensic Document Examination or Questioned Document Examination involves the scientific examination of suspicious documents. A Questioned Document can be a handwriting, signature, mark or any handwritten/typewritten document whose reliability or source is doubtful.
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  • Questioned DocumentExamination generally involves handwriting examination in case of handwritten documents. For typewritten documents, a detailed analysis of the printer and the printing process is done. • The different types of questioned documents could include any document having personal or business connotations. It need not necessarily be a ‘document’ per se. For example, a suicide note bearing a handwritten or typewritten text and a forged will, both can both be considered as a questioned document. • Forensic Document Examiners define a ‘questioned document’ as any material that contains marks, symbols or signs intended to communicate a message.
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  • Albert S.Osborn (1858–1946) also known as FATHER OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS was born in the state of Michigan. He attended the State College at Lansing, and in 1882 began a position as a penmanship teacher at Rochester Business Institute (ASQDE, 2013). Teaching handwriting evolved into an interest in the identification of handwriting, typewriting, paper, ink, and other questioned document problems. • Mr. Osborn transitioned to full time work as a forensic document examiner in 1920 in New York City. He met informally for many years with colleagues at his home to discuss research and methodology in the examination of questioned documents. In 1942, the group formed a formal association. • The American Society of Questioned Document Examiners was formed with Albert S. Osborn as the first president.
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  • ACE Method- •ACE is an acronym originated by the Canadian FDE, Roy Huber. ACE represents: Analysis, Comparison, and Evaluation. He used it in his article published in The Criminal Law Quarterly (Huber, 1959). He described the process of identification in the following way There are three distinct stages in establishing the identity of any person or thing through which the forensic scientist must pass, consciously or otherwise, in the course of his examination • 1. Analysis:- The “unknown” item must be classified according to its properties or characteristics. These properties may be directly observable, measurable, or implied, but they are the parts which make up the whole. • 2. Comparison:- Stripped of its pictorial effects, its subjective disillusions, and now seen for what it really is, a comparison is made of the properties of the item found through analysis with the known of recorded properties of others whose identity is unquestioned. • 3. Evaluation:- It is not sufficient that the comparison disclose similarities or dissimilarities in any of the characteristic properties of knowns unknowns. Each property will have a certain value for identification purposes, determined chiefly by its relative frequency of occurrence. The weight or significance of each must be considered.
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  • At present,every other person is adept at using Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat and other visual editing software. This has made document forgery a cakewalk for individuals with corrupt intentions. The properties of a questioned document that are examined include handwriting, signatures, and typewriting. • Some of the common types of questioned documents subjected to forensic document examination are stated below. • • Wills • Cheques • Bank Drafts • Agreements • Receipts • Laminated Documents
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  • • StampPapers • Passports • ID Cards • Licenses • Currency notes • Suicide notes • Sometimes even documents that do not bear any visible mark is subjected to forensic document examination. For example, documents kept below other documents while writing may contain impression evidence. Even burned or shredded documents can give significant leads to an investigation if they are reconstructed.