Definition and Citations: Lat. At first sight; on the first appearance; on the face of it; so far as can be judged from the first disclosure ; presumably. A litigating party is said to have a prima facie case when the evidence in his favor is sufficiently strong for his opponent to be called on to answer it. A prima facie case, then, is one which is established by sufficient evidence, and can be overthrown only by rebutting evidence adduced on the other side. In some cases the only question ... Prima facie is a Latin term meaning "at first glance" or "self-evident". It is used in law to describe evidence that is presumed to be true unless disproven, or a claim that is supported by enough evidence to proceed to trial. Legal Terms Dictionary prima facie case - Meaning in Law and Legal Documents, Examples and FAQs A prima facie case, or initial proof, is when there is enough evidence to support a claim or accusation, making it seem true unless proven otherwise. In normal language you would also say " initial proof " instead of " prima facie case "