Is better that ten guilty escape than one innocent suffer?

Is better that ten guilty escape than one innocent suffer?

In Zadig, published in 1748, Voltaire wrote of “the great principle that it is better to run the risk of sparing the guilty than to condemn the innocent.” At about the same time, Blackstone noted approvingly that “the law holds that it is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer.” In 1824.

Is it better to let a guilty person go free than risk convicting an innocent person?

Benjamin Franklin originally stated “It’s better to let 100 criminals go free than to convict one innocent man.” As time has gone on, that number dwindled as logic began to prevail. That statement at it’s core was meant to basically promote the idea that every person, even the guilty, deserves a fair trial.

WHO said it is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer?

William Blackstone
As the preeminent English jurist William Blackstone wrote,”[B]etter that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer.”74 This principle can also be found in religious texts and in the writings of the American Founders.

Is it more important to protect innocence or punish guilt?

“It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this world that they cannot all be punished.

Who said better a guilty man go free?

QUOTATION: That it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer, is a Maxim that has been long and generally approved. ATTRIBUTION: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, letter to Benjamin Vaughan, March 14, 1785.

Why is innocent until proven guilty important?

The presumption of innocence is crucial to ensuring a fair trial in individual cases, to protecting the integrity of the justice system, and to respecting the human dignity of people who are accused of committing crimes. Despite this, in practice, violations of this important legal principle are common.

Is it innocent until proven guilty?

A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is assumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty. As such, a prosecutor is required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person committed the crime if that person is to be convicted.

Why do we say not guilty instead of innocent?

In short, “not guilty” is not the same as “innocent.” Innocent means that a person did not commit the crime. Not guilty means that the prosecution could not prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that a person committed the crime. Therefore, the court does not pronounce someone as “innocent” but rather “not guilty”.

How does innocent until proven guilty protect the innocent?

Because you are innocent until proven guilty, the prosecution must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, once all of the evidence against you is considered, no reasonable person should be able to question your guilt—otherwise, you cannot be found guilty.

Who said innocent until proven guilty?

This is often expressed in the phrase “presumed innocent until proven guilty”, coined by the British barrister Sir William Garrow (1760–1840) during a 1791 trial at the Old Bailey. Garrow insisted that accusers be robustly tested in court.