A common law principle that a motion for summary judgment or for directed verdict cannot be granted when there exists even the slightest amount of relevant evidence on the subject issue. The matter should then be tried by a jury. The rule may not be accepted by some courts under modern practice.
The Scintilla of Evidence Rule is a common law principle stating that a motion for summary judgment or directed verdict cannot be granted if there exists even the slightest amount of relevant evidence on the subject issue. This rule ensures that matters with some evidentiary support are tried by a jury. However, the rule may not be accepted by some courts under modern practice. The following examples and case studies illustrate the application and implications of the Scintilla of Evidence Rule in various legal contexts:
These cases further illustrate the application and challenges of the Scintilla of Evidence Rule:
For more detailed information, see our related Evidence terms: