Question

What is the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence?

Answer 1

Direct evidence does not require any reasoning or inference to arrive at the conclusion to be drawn from the evidence. Circumstantial evidence, also called indirect evidence, requires that an inference be made between the evidence and the conclusion to be drawn from it.

Circumstantial evidence is often discussed as if it carries less weight than direct evidence. Under the law - and in life - that is not necessarily true. The example above demonstrates that both direct and circumstantial evidence may be equally reliable. In both scenarios, there would be strong proof of rain. Any piece of evidence, whether direct or circumstantial, must be evaluated in terms of whether the source of the evidence is reliable