GEQD stands for Government Examiner of Questioned Documents and it refers to a government position with the basic task of providing forensic document analysis and services.  Many countries have their own so-called document examiners that are needed in various cases wherein there are disputed documents in terms of authorship or authenticity.  In India, there are designated GEQD or document examiners across the different states and all are under the government’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

The basic purpose of having a GEQD is to check whether a particular document is authentic or not. Authenticity may be checked through a variety of scientific methods which are more commonly known as document forensics.  Items such as alterations, forgeries, chain of document possession, and damage to the document in question are all studied by a designated GEQD or Government Examiner of Questioned Documents.  The document examination is often requested during court hearings wherein submitted documentary evidence may be in question or under suspicion.

People that are hired as document examiners or GEQD in India for example have undergone extensive training in the forensic field of document examination and analysis.  Handwriting analysis is also often part of getting certified as a GEQD.   In other countries, handwriting examination or graphology is another specialty or sub-specialty.  In terms of tasks, a GEQD needs to be able to detect forged handwriting and signatures along with document authorship. Erasures and alterations in a written document must also be determined by a document examiner.  GEQD’s are also skilful in terms of knowing the age of the document and determining if there are tampering, additions, omissions, and substitutions on the questioned document.  For all these tasks and skills, a GEQD have logged hours of extensive study and experience in order to become efficient in their field.  GEQDs are often asked to give official reports or even court testimony regarding a particular set of documents that they have studied and assessed.