RFC 0002 — Evidence Model (E+ / E−)

Status: Draft Author: Martín Nicolás Sánchez Morales Created: 2026

Summary

This RFC formalizes the evidence model used by Janus Core Lite.

The model distinguishes between explicit recorded evidence (E+) and verified omission evidence (E−).

This distinction allows governance systems to reason not only from recorded facts but also from verified absences of expected records.

Traditional systems treat missing records as undefined states.

In governance contexts, however, the absence of an expected record may itself represent a meaningful signal.

Janus introduces a formal distinction between:

This allows systems to detect procedural failures, structural gaps, and governance breakdowns.

E+ represents evidence explicitly recorded in a system of record.

A claim supported by E+ references a recorded artifact that can be retrieved and inspected.

E− represents evidence derived from a verified absence of an expected record.

E− requires:

Evidence is evaluated by governance flows. Evaluation may produce governance events recorded in AUDIT_LOG.

Omission evidence may generate the governance event:

OMISSION_DETECTED

Interpretation of evidence may require human evaluation, which is recorded through the event:

HUMAN_DECISION

Governance systems must account for both presence and absence of records.

Without omission evidence, structural failures may remain invisible.

The E+ / E− model enables systems to reason about procedural compliance, missing actions, and institutional responsibility.

Not applicable (initial evidence model specification).

Incorrect omission detection may result from:

Implementations must ensure deterministic search scopes and schema consistency when deriving E−.

MIT License