Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Proved, Disproved, and Not Proved (Section 3 IEA / Section 2 BSA)
Evidentiary Rules & Proof Standards
Definition
Proved: A court, after considering the matters before it, either believes a fact to exist or considers its existence so probable that a prudent person ought to act upon the supposition of its existence.
Disproved: The court believes the fact does not exist or considers its non-existence so probable that a prudent person ought to act accordingly.
Not Proved: A fact is neither proved nor disproved; it remains in an unestablished evidentiary twilight.
Example
In an insurance claim suit in Mumbai, the plaintiff asserts arson. The insurer fails to show traces of accelerant, but the plaintiff also fails to produce electricity inspection records. The civil judge holds the plea of electrical short-circuit not proved.