With the police holding ironclad evidence, the suspect had no choice but to confess.
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history
From Cao Xueqin's 《红楼梦》 chapter 86, in the ruling on Xue Pan's manslaughter case: 尸场检验,证据确凿 — the forensic examination gave conclusive evidence. The phrase has since become a fixed legal/journalistic term.
register
Very formal, almost exclusively legal or journalistic. Natural in court verdicts, news reports, and investigative contexts. Rare in casual speech — you would say 有证据 in daily conversation.