noun phrase · academic
presumption of innocence
UK/prɪˈzʌmpʃən əv ɪˈnɒsəns/US/prɪˈzʌmpʃən əv ɪˈnɑːsəns/pre·ZUMP·tion of in·NOC·ence
the legal principle that someone is considered innocent until proven guilty
Examples
“The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of criminal justice.”
“Journalists must avoid undermining the presumption of innocence when reporting.”
“Defendants rely on the presumption of innocence throughout the trial.”
Band 8 sentence
“A fair justice system must always uphold the presumption of innocence, even under intense media scrutiny.”
Collocations
- uphold the presumption of innocence
- undermine the presumption of innocence
Word family
Common mistakes
presume innocent→presumption of innocence
innocent until proven→innocent until proven guilty
Say it for a higher band
5innocent→6innocent until proven guilty→7+presumption of innocence
Synonyms
innocent until proven guilty
Easily confused
innocent until proven guilty
“In many articles the phrase 'innocent until proven guilty' appears instead of technical terms.”
Related words
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In Crime & Law
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