dôkazy

Dôkazy are facts or data presented in legal proceedings to prove or disprove a claim. They encompass material that can influence whether a fact at issue is true and can originate from various sources, including parties, witnesses, documents, or expert analyses. In many legal systems, dôkazy form the evidentiary basis on which judges or juries decide cases.

Dôkazy are commonly categorized by how they establish a fact. Direct (priame) dôkazy support a fact without needing inference, such as a witness’s testimony about an event or a CCTV recording. Indirect or circumstantial (nepriame) dôkazy require reasoning to connect the evidence to a disputed fact. Other classifications include real or physical dôkazy (objects or traces), documentary dôkazy (letters, contracts, records), and expert opinions (forensic, medical, or technical analyses). Digital evidence—emails, data logs, metadata—has become increasingly important in many proceedings.

Admissibility and evaluation depend on rules that govern relevance, materiality, and reliability. Dôkazy must generally be legally obtained and admissible; unlawful or improperly obtained evidence can be excluded. The integrity of a dôkaz may be protected by a chain of custody to prevent tampering. The court assesses the weight or probative value of each dôkaz, considering credibility, corroboration, and overall coherence with other evidence.

In practice, the weight of dôkazy is determined collectively by the court, reflecting the standard of proof required for the case type. The manner in which dôkazy are presented and argued influences their influence on the final verdict or ruling.