What is judicial notice?

Judicial notice refers to the legal concept whereby a court recognizes certain facts as being true without the need for formal proof or evidence. This is based on the principle that some information is so universally accepted and widely known that it does not require further substantiation during legal proceedings. For example, facts that are common knowledge, such as the geographic location of a city or that the sun rises in the east, can be judicially noticed.

The importance of judicial notice lies in its ability to streamline court proceedings by allowing judges to accept these facts without requiring parties to present exhausting evidence. This process can help expedite legal processes and focus on more contentious issues that require detailed examination and debate.