Prima facie
at first sight
Where the phrase comes from
A common-law evidence phrase. It describes a case that is enough, if nobody answers it, for a fact-finder to decide the claim is proved.
What lawyers are pointing at
Prima facie evidence is the floor, not the ceiling. A plaintiff who shows the elements of a claim has shifted the practical job of answering onto the other side. The other side may rebut, explain, or contradict. Calling a document prima facie proof does not make it immune to challenge, and it does not mean the case has already been won. Treat the phrase as 'enough to start, unless answered.'
The same shape in code
A red test, a 500 from one route, or a checksum mismatch is prima facie evidence that something in that path failed. It is not yet a root cause. The next step is the counter-evidence: the same request against the previous build, the kernel log, the row that was supposed to change. Teams that skip that step promote a first look into a finding.
A concrete picture
A barrel is on the pavement and a witness says it came from your warehouse window. That is a prima facie negligence story of the kind in Byrne v Boadle. It is still open to the warehouse to show the barrel was knocked out by a stranger.