- beyond a reasonable doubt
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adj.In a criminal case, proven by evidence to the point that a reasonable man or woman would be entirely convinced and morally certain that the defendant is guilty.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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the standard of proof in criminal cases in the UK, higher than the civil standard of the balance of probabilities. Contrasted with the balance of probabilities, it is not a matter of weighing up both sides and deciding who has won. Thus, if matters are evenly balanced, the accused must be acquitted. Juries when charged are often reminded that they are allowed to have doubts. The doubt must be a real doubt before they acquit – it must not be a fanciful doubt.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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See: reasonable doubtCategory: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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USAThe standard of proof requiring the party with the burden of proof to demonstrate that an allegation or argument is true beyond all reasonable doubt. In the US, this standard is typically used to prove criminal liability.
Practical Law Dictionary. Glossary of UK, US and international legal terms. www.practicallaw.com. 2010.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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n. The standard for conviction in a criminal trial; evidence sufficient to convince a reasonable person beyond doubt of the guilt of the defendant. The requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is not so stringent as to preclude the possibility of error, as is, "beyond the shadow of a doubt," nor as loose as, "the preponderance of the evidence," as is the standard in a civil trial.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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The standard that must be met by the prosecution's evidence in a criminal prosecution: that no other logical explanation can be derived from the facts except that the defendant committed the crime, thereby overcoming the presumption that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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I
The standard that must be met by the prosecution's evidence in a criminal prosecution: that no other logical explanation can be derived from the facts except that the defendant committed the crime, thereby overcoming the presumption that a person is innocent until proven guilty.II The standard in a criminal case requiring that the jury be satisfied to a moral certainty that every element of a crime has been proven by the prosecution. This standard of proof does not require that the state establish absolute certainty by eliminating all doubt, but it does require that the evidence be so conclusive that all reasonable doubts are removed from the mind of the ordinary person.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- beyond a reasonable doubt
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adj.part of jury instructions in all criminal trials, in which the jurors are told that they can only find the defendant guilty if they are convinced "beyond a reason- able doubt" of his or her guilt. Sometimes referred to as "to a moral certainty," the phrase is fraught with uncertainty as to meaning, but try: "you better be damned sure." By comparison it is meant to be a tougher standard than "preponderance of the evidence," used as a test to give judgment to a plaintiff in a civil (non-criminal) case.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
