IEA Section 91 — Evidence of terms of contracts, grants and other dispositions of property reduced to form of document

Summary

If a contract, property transfer, or similar legal arrangement has been written down in a document, you generally cannot use other types of evidence—like spoken testimony—to prove what the terms of that document say. Instead, you must present the original document itself as proof, unless the law allows you to use a copy or other secondary evidence in specific situations.

Official Text

When the terms of a contract, or of a grant, or of any other disposition of property, have been reduced to the form of a document, and in all cases in which any matter is required by law to be reduced to the form of a document, no evidence1 shall be given in proof of the terms of such contract, grant or other disposition of property, or of such matter, except the document itself, or secondary evidence of its contents in cases in which secondary evidence is admissible under the provisions herein-before contained.

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• BSA §94 — Evidence of terms of contracts, grants and other dispositions of property reduced to form of document