What’s prima facie?

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Prima facie means “at first sight” in Latin and is used to describe evidence that appears to meet legal requirements. A prima facie case is a lawsuit that seems like a foregone conclusion. Prima facie cases are presented to grand juries in some jurisdictions, while pre-trial hearings are used in others.

Prima facie is a term used in law. It comes from the Latin and means “at first sight” or “at first sight”. As an adjectival phrase, it is generally used to modify the word evidence and refers to evidence that is given a “think” to see if it meets some minimal criteria, with the understanding that it will usually be reviewed more thoroughly at a later date and held to a higher standard. In this usage, therefore, prima facie means that, in context, the evidence appears to satisfy the legal requirements for establishing the basis of a case or the truth of a fact. A prima facie case, on the other hand, is a case or lawsuit that has the appearance of being a foregone conclusion.

Prima facie enters the practice of law in several ways. For example, evidence that someone initiated a standard sequence of events can be accepted as evidence that the expected result occurred, unless there is evidence to the contrary. Therefore, proof that you mailed a letter is prima facie proof that the letter was delivered. Evidence in the form of a copy of a document made through a photocopying process is prima facie proof that the originals existed and may be accepted in place of the originals, unless there is evidence to suggest why they should not be .

In jurisdictions where there is a grand jury, such as parts of the United States, a prima facie case must be presented to a grand jury in order for the prosecution to obtain an indictment. A prima facie case is a lesser burden of proof than that required to obtain a conviction in a trial, when guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This is because a grand jury is not convened to find guilt or innocence, only to find out if there is a justification for holding a trial.

Even in the United States in jurisdictions where they are still used, grand juries are not convened in every case. In the United States and some parts of the world where there are no grand juries, prima facie cases can still play a role in so-called pre-trial hearings, in which the justification of a court case is decided. Pretrial hearings are used in a number of countries, including the UK. Another name for such a hearing is evidentiary hearings.




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