Evidentiary Value of Photocopies of Documents as Evidence in Civil Cases: A Case Study of Decision No. 525/Pdt.G/2018/PA.Lpk
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65310/qyq5qt73Keywords:
Civil Procedure, Documentary Evidence, Evidentiary Value, Judicial Assessment, Photocopied Documents.Abstract
This study examines the evidentiary value of photocopied documents that cannot be matched with their originals in civil proceedings and evaluates the judicial reasoning applied in Decision No. 525/Pdt.G/2018/PA.Lpk. A normative legal method was employed using statutory and case approaches, supported by primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials analyzed qualitatively through a descriptive-analytical framework. The findings indicate that photocopies lacking original documents do not independently possess perfect evidentiary force because their authenticity and correspondence cannot be directly verified. Their evidentiary value, however, is not automatically eliminated when other lawful evidence can corroborate the contents, explain the absence of the originals, and establish consistency with the disputed facts. In the examined case, the court rejected the plaintiff’s claim because the photocopied documents and testimonial evidence did not provide sufficient, mutually reinforcing proof of the asserted legal relationship. The analysis also shows that judicial assessment should distinguish admissibility from probative weight and expressly identify whether evidentiary weakness arises from authenticity, relevance, insufficient corroboration, or failure to satisfy the burden of proof. A structured reliability-based approach is therefore necessary to promote consistency, transparency, and legal certainty in assessing reproduced documentary evidence in Indonesian civil procedure while preserving safeguards against unreliable or manipulated copies.
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