Komissarova N. Criminalistic Examination of Signatures Affixed Under the Circumstances of Diminished Visual Control.

The concept of signature as an attesting sign of a certain person and one of the requisites of a document bringing it into legal force has been defined as a result of the analysis of the development of writing and origin of signatures. A signature is characterised, its features and functions are identified as well as objective and subjective factors influencing its formation. The thesis deals with the kinds (levels) of criminalistic examination of signatures on the basis of their classification, identification, diagnofication, identification, diagnois. Proceeding from the general notion of the methods of expert examination of signatures and their components the author deals with the peculiarities of examining signatures affixed under the circumstances of diminished visual control. These peculiarities have been revealed in the course of an experimental research undertaken by the author in ophthalmological clinics of Donetsk oblast with fifty patients under special conditions. The obtained results enabled the author to formulate proposals and recommendations for law enforcement bodies' investigation of such signatures and evaluation of evidential significance of an expert's opinion.