Relevancy

Defined in 5 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893)

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

Applicability to the issue joined. That quality of evidence which renders it properly applicable in determining the trutii or falsity of the matters in issue between the parties to a suit. See 1 Greenl. Ev. i 49.

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

The character or quality of being relevant.

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

Applicability to the issue joined. That quality of evidence which renders it properly applicable in determining the truth and falsity of the matters in issue between the parties to a suit. See 1 Greenl. Ev. § 49. Two facts are said to be relevant to each other when so related “that according to the common course of events, one either taken by itself or in connection with other facts, proves or renders probable the past, present, or future existence or non-existence of the other.” Steph. Dig. Ev. art. 1. This is relevancy in a logical sense. Legal relevancy requires a higher standard of evidentiary force. It includes logical relevancy and demands a close connection between the fact to be proved and the fact offered to prove it. The fact, however, that it is logically relevant does not insure admissibility; it must also be legally relevant; U. S. v. Ross, 92 U. S. 281, 23 L. Ed. 707; it is, however, the tendency of modem jurisprudence to admit most evidence logically relevant. Chamb. Best, Ev. 251, n. Relevancy of evidence does not depend upon the conclusiveness of the testimony offered, but upon its legitimate tendency to establish a controverted fact; Interstate Commerce Commission v. Baird, 194 U. S. 25, 24 Sup. Ct. 563, 48 L. Ed. 860. RELICTA VERI FICATIONE (Lat. his pleading being abandoned). A confession of Judgment made after plea pleaded: viz. a cognovit actionem accompanied by a with- RELICTION (Lat. relinquo, to leave behind). An increase of the land by the retreat or recession of the sea or a river. Where the sea cut off the sea front of the main land between certain points and afterwards a beach was reformed outside the main land, and divided from it by a bay of navigable water, it was held that the title to the new formation was in the owners of the part cut off. Murphy v. Norton, 61 How. Pr. (N. Y.) 197. See Avulsion; Alluvion; Lake; Rivkb; Waters.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

As a quality of evidence, "relevancy" means applicability to the issue joined. Relevancy is that which conduces to the proof of a pertinent hypothesis; a pertinent hypothesis being one which, if sustained, would logically influence the issue. Whart. Ev. § 20. In Scotch law, the relevancy is the justice or sufficiency in law of the allegations of a party. A plea to the relevancy is therefore analogous to the demurrer of the English courts. A distinction is sometimes taken between "logical" relevancy and "legal" relevancy, the former being judged merely by the standards of ordinary logic or the general laws of reasoning, the latter by the strict and artificial rules of the law with reference to the admissibility of evidence. See Hoag v. Wright 34 App. Div. 260, 54 N. Y. Supp. 658.

A Law Dictionary and Glossary

George C. Kinney · 1893

The quality of being relevant.— a term applied to evidence. Relevant! Having relation; relevant evidence is evidence applicable to the issue.