law: Indian Evidence Act, 1872 
  3. Interpretation clause 
  In this Act the
  
  following words and expressions are use in the following sense. Unless a
  
  contrary intention appears from the context-
  "Court"-
  
  includes all Judges and Magistrates, and all persons, except arbitrators,
  
  legally authorized to take evidence.
  "Fact" –
  
  "Fact" means and includes-
  (1) any thing, state
  
  of things, or relation of things, capable of being perceived by the sense;
  (2) any mental
  
  condition of which any person is conscious.
  Illustrations
  (a) That there are
  
  certain objects arranged in a certain order in a certain place, is a fact.
  (b) That a man heard
  
  or saw something, is a fact.
  (c) That a man said
  
  certain words, is a fact.
  (d) That a man holds a
  
  certain opinion, has a certain intention, acts in goods faith or fraudulently,
  
  or uses a particular word in a particular sense, or is or was at a specified
  
  time conscious of a particulars sensation, is a fact.
  (e) That a man has a
  
  certain reputation, is a fact.
  "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 on any suit or proceeding, necessarily follows.
  Explanation -
  
  Whenever, under the provisions of the law for the time being in force relating
  
  to Civil Procedure, any Court records an issue of fact, the fact to be asserted
  
  or denied in the answer to such issue is a fact in issue.
  Illustrations
  A is accused of the
  
  murder of B.
  At his trial the
  
  following facts may be in issue:-
  That caused A B’s
  
  death;
  That A intended to
  
  cause Bs’ death;
  That A had received
  
  grave and sudden provocation from B;
  That A, at the time of
  
  doing the act which caused B’s death, was, by reason of unsoundness of mind,
  
  incapable of knowing its nature.
  "Documents"
  
  – "Documents" means any matter expressed of 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.
  Illustrations
  A writing is a
  
  document;
  Words printed,
  
  Lithographed or photographed are documents;
  A map or plan is a
  
  document;
  an inscription on a
  
  metal plate or stone is a document;
  A caricature is a
  
  document.
  "Evidence" –
  
  "Evidence" means and includes
  (1) 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;
  (2) 8A[all
  
  document including electronic records produced for the inspection of the
  
  Court],
  such statements 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 not to be proved when it is neither proved nor
  
  disproved.
  "India"— 9["India"
  
  means the territory of India excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir.]
   9A  [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.]