Section 3

In this Act the following words and expressions are used in the following senses, unless a contrary intention appears from the context— Court: Court includes all Judges and Magistrates, and all persons, except arbitrators, legally authorized to take evidence. Fact: Fact means and includes— any thing, state of things, or relation of things, capable of being perceived by the senses; any mental condition of which any person is conscious. Relevant: One fact is said to be relevant to another when the one is connected with the other in any of the ways referred to in the provisions of this Act relating to the relevancy of facts. Facts in issue: The expression facts in issue means and includes-any fact from which, either by itself or in connection with other facts, the existence, non-existence, nature or extent of any right, liability, or disability asserted or denied in any suit or proceeding, necessarily follows. Document: Document means any matter expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks, or by more than one of those means, intended to be used or which may be used for the purpose of recording that matter. Evidence: Evidence means and includes— all statements which the Court permits or requires to be made before it by witnesses, in relation to matters of fact under inquiry; such statements are called oral evidence; all documents including electronic records produced for the inspection of the Court; such documents are called documentary evidence. Proved: A fact is said to be proved when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes it to exist, or considers its existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it exists. Disproved: A fact is said to be disproved when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes that it does not exist, or considers its non-existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it does not exist. Not proved: A fact is said to be not proved when it is neither proved nor disproved. India: India means the territory of India excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The expressions Certifying Authority, digital signature, Digital Signature Certificate, electronic form, electronic records, information, secure electronic record, secure digital signature and subscriber shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Information Technology Act, 2000.