innocent until proven guilty

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the foundational presumption of criminal law in liberal legal systems that a person accused of a crime must be treated as innocent of that crime unless and until the prosecution has proven guilt beyond reasonable doubt before a competent tribunal following a fair trial; the presumption places the burden of proof entirely on the state, requires that doubt be resolved in favour of the accused, and prohibits treating a suspect as guilty before conviction; it traces to Roman law principles and was articulated in English common law through Blackstone's formulation that it is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer, reflecting the liberal priority of protecting individuals from false conviction by the state over ensuring that every guilty person is punished