The Admissibility of Business Records as Legal Evidence: A Review of the Business Records Exception to the Hearsay Rule in Canada
Abstract
Records professionals play an important role in increasing the likelihood that business records will be admitted as evidence. This article discusses the business records exception to the hearsay rule and the ways in which business records may be tendered as evidence in Canada. By reviewing Canadian case law, the author examines several criteria that could contribute to a judge’s decision to admit a business record as evidence and identifies ways that records professionals can help their organization satisfy each of the criteria. It is argued that the act of sound and structured recordkeeping helps an organization increase the likelihood that its business records will be admitted as evidence.
RÉSUMÉ
Les spécialistes en gestion de l’information jouent un rôle important afin d’augmenter la probabilité que les documents d’archives des entreprises soient admis comme preuves. Cet article discute du cas des documents d’archives des entreprises comme exception à la règle et il examine les façons dont ils peuvent être mis en adjudication au Canada. En faisant l’étude de la jurisprudence canadienne, l’auteur examine plusieurs critères qui pourraient contribuer à la décision d’un juge d’admettre comme preuve un document d’archives d’entreprise et il identifie les façons dont les spécialistes en gestion de l’information peuvent venir en aide à leur organisation en satisfaisant à chacun de ces critères. L’auteur affirme qu’une gestion des documents solide et structurée permet à une institution d’augmenter la probabilité que ses documents d’archives d’entreprise soient admis comme preuve.
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