What are documents termed when they contain protected communications under law?

Documents that contain protected communications under law are termed privileged documents. This classification is important because privilege protects certain communications from being disclosed in legal proceedings. The rationale behind privilege is to encourage open and honest communication between parties, particularly in specific relationships such as attorney-client, doctor-patient, and spousal relationships.

Privileged documents are recognized by law as having a special status that prevents them from being compelled to be produced in court or disclosed to third parties. This protection is crucial in legal practice because it fosters an environment where clients can freely share information with their legal counsel without fear that those communications will be exposed in a public forum.

In contrast, open documents do not have any restrictions on disclosure and can be accessed without limitation. Confidential documents may contain sensitive information but do not necessarily have the same level of legal protection as privileged documents. Restricted documents imply an access limitation but do not indicate the same legal protections as privilege does. Thus, the distinction lies in the legal protections afforded to communications, which is expressly categorized under privilege.