About: Relationship evidence

In law of evidence, relationship evidence describes a particular class of circumstantial evidence, defined in Australian jurisprudence as that which explains the "nature of the relationship between the complainant and the defendant". It provides a context for the offending behavior. Similar to tendency evidence, it establishes the tendency to commit an offence, usually multiple minor instances that often go unreported. The nature of the relationship is often obtained from witnesses who are extraneous to the offences charged. Another form of relationship evidence relates to the establishment of a relationship for the purposes of claiming a benefit of some kind.