Handwriting and signature comparison

Although evidence can still be given by those familiar with a person's handwriting or signature, the Document Examiner with the necessary expertise and training can be accepted by the courts of the land as an Expert Witness and in doing so, can provided opinion evidence as the authorship or otherwise of handwriting and signatures.

The process of comparison and identification of handwriting and signatures is no different to that used by the Fingerprint Examiners and like many other branches of Forensic Science involves a comparison process; where an exhibit or item of evidence is compared to known control samples of the complainant/s, deceased, suspect/s or those associated with them.

SDS accepts and undertakes this type of casework and provides reports, statements, and affidavits as to the findings and if necessary, provide expert evidence in the courts of law or other legal hearings.

Others Document Examination Issues

• Rubber Stamp and Seal Examination
• Examination and Analysis of Facsimile, Photocopy and Computer Printed Documents
• Examination of Altered, Erased, Substituted and Fabricated Documents
• Examination of Envelopes and Other Packages for Seal Tampering

The Document Examiner is required to examine a range of images applied to documents and these are microscopely examined using a range of techniques. Questions are generaly asked as to whether a particular rubber company stamp or seal was used on the document/s or what type of printing process has been used to print the letterheads; offset lithography, letterpress, intaglio, etc. With modern non-impact technology, documents are microscopely examined to determine the imaging process; inkjet, bubble jet, laser, etc and the brand/model of machine used.

Other imaging processes; facsimile, photocopier are examined to determine the make and model of machine and also have the documents been manipulated (cut and paste method).