This paper discusses the meaning of “burden of proof” and “standard of proof” and will also explain the direction of the Judge given to the jurors in the given set of facts. 1. BURDEN OF PROOF It is derived from the Latin expression onus probandi. The burden of proof or onus of proof refers to the obligation on a party to satisfy the court to a specified standard of proof that certain facts are true. The facts for this particular purpose are facts in issue.1 Burden of proof is closely associated with the Latin maxim semper necessistas probandi incumbit ei qui agit which means the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays the charge.2 The general rule is that the burden lies on a party who asserts in the affirmative. In …show more content…
If no evidence is called by the accused, the judge should satisfy himself or herself that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. This is at the stage of submissions on a case to answer.8 B. BURDEN OF PROOF IN CIVIL CASES In civil cases, the burden of proof lies on the Plaintiff to prove the facts in issue. In the event that the Defendant has a counter-claim then the burden of proof lies on the Defendant in relation to the counter-claim. In the case of JOSEPH CONSTANTINE STEAMSHIP LINE LIMITED v IMPERIAL SMELTING CORPORATION9, a ship was chartered to load a cargo, but on the day before she should have preceded to her berth an explosion occurred in the auxiliary boiler, which made it impossible for her to undertake the voyage. The cause of the explosion could not be definitely ascertained, and, of three possible explanations, only one would have imported negligence on the part of the ship-owners. The charterers claimed damages from the ship-owners for failure to load a cargo. At the time of the accident, the ship was not an “arrived” ship, and, therefore,
i. The plaintiff bears the burden of proving that the defamatory statement made by the defendant is
The First Table of the Twelve Tables states translated from Latin to English, “When an accuser calls the defendant to court, the accused is required to go. If the accused does not come and the accuser can provide
Now a day’s evidence can change a person’s life in the blink of an eye. “People were often punished for crimes based on the word of one or two individuals, with little concern given to sorting out the truth of the affair” (Hunter 12). But today a person must be tried and some physical evidence is needed in order for a person to be convicted of a crime.
The acquisition of evidence for a trial is an important step both parties take. However, some methods used to obtain such evidence can be debatable. In order to protect both sides from exploitation, a set of rules are set in place. This rule is called the Exclusionary Rule.
The requirement of authentication or identification as a condition precedent to admissibility is satisfied by evidence sufficient to support a finding that the matter in question is what its proponent claims.
1. In a criminal trial, the defendant must be proven guilty by a preponderance of the evidence or beyond a reasonable doubt?
The Court in the 6th Circuit was to determine if the plaintiff, David Dunlap, had met the burden of proof that his
What does the prosecution need to prove in the courtroom for a person to be convicted of a criminal offence? (2 marks)
In its brief, the government asserted that the question of whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain a conviction “does not turn on the content of jury instructions.” Rather, the sufficiency of the evidence standard is made with reference to an accurate understanding of the elements required for a conviction. As such, a conviction should be upheld if “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” At the federal level, these elements are defined by Congress, meaning that an erroneous jury instruction should have “no effect on sufficiency analysis.” Thus, the government contended that its failure to object to an erroneous jury instruction should not have any impact on whether the elements as defined by Congress supported a finding of guilt.
The heart of the American Judicial System is the determination of the innocence or guilt of the accused. At the beginning of the play, the jurors all feel that the man is guilty for murdering his father and they all wanted to convict him without carrying out a detailed discussion. The persistence of juror eight, however, plays a significant role in ensuring that the correct and fair verdict is delivered. The judicial system maintains that the defendant does not have an obligation to prove his innocence. The fact is not clear to everyone as Juror 8 reminds Juror 2 about it. The fact is a key element of the judicial system and assists in the process of coming up with a verdict. The defendant is usually innocent until proven guilty. Another element of the judicial system that comes out in the play is for a verdict to stand it must be unanimous. Unanimity ensures that the
People v. DiStefano is most important to our case, because it outlines the burden of proof. According to the case,
2) The court has to evaluate all the evidence presented by both the plaintiff and the defendant at the trial. The court needed to establish that “an unreasonable use of the defendant’s property so as to cause substantial interference with the enjoyment or use of the plaintiff’s property has
It is the right of the jury to judge what the facts are, what the law
May and Powles view evidence as ‘something’ which tends to prove or disprove something else. In the context of a trial this consists of information placed before the court for the purpose of proving or disproving facts in issue. Beecher-Monas states that in a system based on the rule of law and which aspires to ‘truth’, the accuracy and reliability of such information is essential. The mechanisms available to the court to determine the latter, centre on the presentation of evidence under oath, cross-examination and the observation of witness demeanour .
There are many tangible circumstances that tend to prove or disprove some facts in all criminal or civil cases. Under rule 41(b) “A warrant may be issued under this rule to search for and seize any (1) property that constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offenses; or (2) contraband, the fruits of a crime, or things otherwise criminally possessed; or (3) property designed or intended for use or which is or has been used as the means of committing a criminal offense; or (4) person for whose arrest there is probable cause, or who is unlawfully restrained” (John N. Ferdico, 1999). Evidence is one of the single most important pieces of a criminal trial. It is used to determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence.