upon information or belief

Upon information or belief is a phrase often used in evidence law that means the speaker does not have first-hand knowledge of the claim, but is basing their statement on secondary information the speaker believes to be true and accurate. More specifically, a statement based upon information or belief means the speaker is not completely certain their statement is accurate, but they believe it to be true based on the information they currently have.This phrase is often used in pleadings and affidavits under oath to qualify a statement or allegation so as to protect the speaker from perjury . An example of a statement made upon information or belief is if a police officer testifies that the defendant committed the crime , although the officer did not witness the crime firsthand. Witnesses reported that the defendant committed the crime to the officer, so the officer based their conclusion on the witness reports.

See: information and belief , for further explanation.

[Last reviewed in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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