1.

Under the Rules of Evidence, when the subject of inquiry is the contents of a document, no
evidence shall be admissible other than the original document itself. The original document is
the best evidence.
2. Under the Rules of Evidence , when the original document has been lost or destroyed, or cannot
be produced in court, the offeror, upon proof of its execution or existence and the cause of its
unavailability without bad faith on his part, may prove its contents by a copy, or by a recital of its
contents in some authentic document, or by the testimony of witnesses in the order state which
is referred to as secondary evidence.

3. Positive evidence is that which affirms the occurrence of an event or existence of a fact, as when
a witness declares that there was no fight which took place

4. Negative evidence is that which denies the occurrence of an event or existence of a fact, as
when the accused presents witnesses who testify that the accused was at their party when the
crime was committed. Denials and alibi are negative evidences.

5. Equipoise evidence where the evidence of the parties is evenly balanced, the case will be
resolved against the plaintiff, thus in criminal cases the accused must be acquitted and in civil
cases, the complaint must be dismissed

6. Competent evidence - competent evidence is used to refer evidence that is relevant, and of
such nature that it can be received by a court of law. It refers to evidence that is appropriate and
needed to prove the issue of fact that the parties have made. Competent evidence may also
serve as a link to the subject matter that is to be proved. Competent evidence is also known as
proper evidence, admissible evidence, relevant evidence, or legal evidence.

7. Material evidence - means existing evidence that, by itself or when considered with previous
evidence of record, relates to an un-established fact necessary to substantiate the claim. the
facts or issues of a case or enquiry that can affect its conclusion or outcome have a significant
relationship with this type of proof or testimony.

8. Direct evidence - evidence, which, if believed, proves the existence of a fact in issue without
inference or presumption.

9. Circumstantial evidence - indirect evidence which creates an inference from which a main fact
may be inferred.

10. Relevant evidence - means evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that
is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it
would be without the evidence.

11. Cumulative- additional evidence of the same kind bearing on the same point. E.g.: testimonies of
several eyewitnesses to the same incident

12. Corroborative-additional evidence of a different kind or character but tending to prove the same
point. It is evidence which confirms or supports. Thus: (i) the medico legal certificate describing
 the injuries to have been caused by a sharp pointed instrument corroborates the statement that
the accused used a knife to stab the victim (ii) the positive results of a paraffin test corroborates
the allegation that the person fired a gun and (iii) the ballistics examination on the gun of the
suspect corroborates the statement that he fired his gun at the victim

13. Rebuttal evidence evidence given to explain, repel, counteract or disprove facts given in
evidence by the adverse party. It is evidence in denial of some affirmative case or fact which the
adverse party has attempted to prove.

14. Conclusive evidence may either be (i) that which the law does not allow to be contradicted as
in judicial admissions or (b) that the effect of which overwhelms any evidence to the contrary as
the DNA profile of a person as the natural father over a denial

15. Prima facie- that which, standing alone and uncontradicted, is sufficient to maintain the
proposition affirmed. In the eyes of the law it is sufficient to establish a fact until it has been
disproved, rebutted or contradicted or overcome by contrary proof.