Evidence Act 2025

A document is any record of information, and includes the following —

anything on which there is writing;

anything on which there are marks, figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them;

anything from which sounds, images or writings can be reproduced with or without the aid of anything else;

a map, plan, drawing or photograph.

A document also includes the following —

any part of the document;

any copy, reproduction or duplicate of the document or of any part of the document;

any part of a copy, reproduction or duplicate of a document.

A public document is a document that —

forms part of the records of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory; or

forms part of the records of the government of a foreign country; or

forms part of the records of a person or body holding office or exercising a function under or because of the Commonwealth Constitution, an Australian law or a law of a foreign country; or

is being kept by or on behalf of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, a government of a foreign country or a person or body referred to in paragraph (c).

A public document includes the records of the proceedings of, and papers presented to —

an Australian Parliament, a House of an Australian Parliament, a committee of a House of an Australian Parliament or a committee of an Australian Parliament; and

a legislature of a foreign country, including a House or committee (however described) of a legislature of a foreign country.