Presumption of guilt
Presumption of guilt within the criminal justice system refers to presumption that a suspect is guilty unless or until proven to be innocent, as opposed to the legal principle of presumption of innocence, which states that every person accused of any crime is considered innocent until proven guilty. Such a presumption may legitimately arise from a rule of law or a procedural rule of the court or other adjudicating body which determines how the facts in the case are to be proved, and may be either rebuttable or irrebuttable.