LEGAL PRINCIPLE: EVIDENCE LAW – Circumstantial Evidence – Chain of Evidence
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT
There is here an unbroken chain of evidence sufficient to point unequivocally that the appellant committed the crime charged.
RATIO DECIDENDI (SOURCE)
Per Karibi-Whyte, JSC, in Durwode v. State (2000) NLC-222000(SC) at p. 8; Paras E–A.
"There is here an unbroken chain of evidence sufficient to point unequivocally that the appellant committed the crime charged."
EXPLANATION / SCOPE
The chain of evidence in circumstantial cases must be unbroken—each fact must link logically to the next, forming a continuous sequence pointing only to the accused’s guilt. Any break in the chain, or any link that could reasonably support an alternative inference, undermines the prosecution’s case. The “unbroken chain” metaphor emphasizes that circumstantial proof is cumulative; each piece reinforces the whole. If one link is weak or missing, the entire case collapses. The chain must be forged from facts proven beyond reasonable doubt, not from speculation.