

It is a higher standard of proof than the standard of balance of probabilities (US English: preponderance of the evidence) commonly used in civil cases because the stakes are much higher in a criminal case: a person found guilty can be deprived of liberty, or in extreme cases, life, as well as suffering the collateral consequences and social stigma attached to a conviction. JSTOR ( March 2009) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)īeyond ( a) reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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