What is "judicial notice"?

Judicial notice is a legal doctrine whereby a court recognizes the truth of certain facts that are generally accepted within society and do not require formal evidence to establish their validity. This can include well-known facts, such as historical dates or events, scientific facts, and the existence of certain laws and regulations. The purpose of judicial notice is to save time and resources within the court system by allowing judges to acknowledge certain facts without needing them to be proven through evidence or testimony.

This process helps streamline legal proceedings because it avoids the need for one party to present overwhelming evidence on matters that are already accepted as true by the general community or that are readily verifiable. By recognizing these facts, the court can focus on resolving the core issues in a case rather than getting bogged down in proving something that is already widely known or accepted.