Law & Evidence
Show me the evidence
| Evidence type | What it can do | What it cannot automatically do |
|---|---|---|
| Primary law | Establish the legal text and formal powers/duties. | Prove implementation is effective in practice. |
| Official guidance | Explain expected practice and interpretation. | Replace the underlying law or every local procedure. |
| Research | Estimate patterns, associations or outcomes using stated methods. | Prove what happened in one individual case. |
| Service/administrative data | Show recorded activity within that system. | Automatically establish population prevalence. |
| Lived experience | Provide direct evidence of a person’s experience and meaning. | Automatically establish population frequency or every legal element. |
A service statistic does not automatically establish prevalence. Lived experience does not automatically establish population frequency. A legal duty does not automatically prove effective implementation.