Presumption of innocence is an important part of our standard of justice. It is a term you have heard plenty of times in the past. The idea on the face of it is quite simple. If you or anyone else is accused of a crime, you are “presumed innocent until proven guilty”. That phrase was coined by William Garrow more than a century ago.[1] The idea however dates back as far as sixth century in Roman law from Digest of Justinian which states Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat – “Proof lies on him who asserts, not on him who denies.

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