presumption of innocence: Meaning and Definition of

presump'tion of in'nocence

Pronunciation: [key]
— Law. Law.
  1. the rebuttable presumption of the innocence of the defendant in a criminal action in Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence, placing upon the prosecution the burden of proof of the defendant's guilt.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.