közhiteles

Közhiteles is a Hungarian legal term describing data or documents that are treated as authentic by virtue of their being contained in official public records or issued by public authorities. In civil procedure, közhiteles information is presumed to be true, which can reduce the burden of proof for the party relying on it.

The concept covers two closely related notions. First, data stored in official registries and public records, such as population or address data in state registers, or ownership and cadastral information in land or property registries, are regarded as közhiteles. Second, certain documents produced or certified by public authorities may themselves be treated as authentic evidence if they meet statutory requirements. This has the practical effect that facts appearing in these records or documents are generally accepted in court unless challenged.

In practice, közhiteles evidence can include dates of birth, residence, changes of name, marital status, or property relations, all derived from public records. When such data is referenced in proceedings, the opposing party may question its accuracy, or the records may be corrected if proven erroneous, but absent contrary proof, the records are usually sufficient to establish the fact.

The legal framework surrounding közhiteles aims to facilitate proof by leveraging the reliability of public registries and official documents. It is distinct from private or private-authenticated documents, where proof obligations are typically greater. The concept reinforces the role of public authority records in the evidentiary process.