#Handwriting Expert Evidence

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that a person who may become an accused cannot question a direction under CrPC 156(3) to investigate, and that a handwriting expert’s report must be supported by additional evidence before it can underpin a conviction. This limits challenges to investigative orders and raises the evidentiary threshold for expert testimony, affecting future forgery and fraud prosecutions.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that refusing a party’s request to examine disputed signatures through a handwriting expert, when authenticity is contested, undermines the right to a fair trial under natural justice. This sets a critical precedent for civil property cases where documentary evidence hinges on signature verification, ensuring procedural fairness under the new evidence law.