Private documents

Documents that are not classified as public documents are private. They belong to individuals or organisations and are not presumed authentic by the court. A party who relies on a private document must produce it and prove its contents under the rules of evidence.

Priya has a handwritten rent agreement kept with her landlord. Because it is not a public record, it is a private document. If Priya relies on it in court she must produce the original and prove it to support her claim.