What is an essential requirement for evidence to be admissible in court?

For evidence to be admissible in court, it is essential that it is relevant. Relevance means that the evidence must directly relate to the case at hand and have a tendency to make a fact more or less probable than it would be without that evidence. This requirement helps ensure that the information presented to the court is pertinent to the issues being decided, allowing for a fair and informed judgment.

While circumstantial evidence can also be relevant, it is not a standalone requirement for admissibility. Evidence does not need to come from specific sources like military personnel, nor does it need to be in physical form, as digital records or testimonies can also be admitted if they meet the relevance standard. Thus, relevance serves as a fundamental criterion in the legal standards for evidence admissibility.