证明责任 Burden of proof

指当事人为避免不利于己的裁判而提出证据证明其主张的事实并说服事实认定者〔trier of fact〕确信其主张的责任。证据法上的一般规则是提出肯定性主张的一方负证明责任，即「谁主张，谁举证」。所以，在诉讼中证明责任通常首先由原告或控告人〔prosecutor〕承担，但当其提出了充分证据能够证明其主张成立，即确立了表面案件〔prima facie case〕时，证明责任即转移给另一方，但是在刑事诉讼中由于实行无罪推定〔presumption of innocence〕原则，证明被告人有罪的责任由公诉方承担，被告人不承担证明自己有罪或无罪的责任，但就某些事实或主张，被告人仍承担证明责任，如被告人主张自己精神不正常等。在英美证据法理论上，通常认为证明责任包含两个概念，其一为「举证责任」〔burden of going forward with evidence or burden of producing evidence〕，即当事人就自己主张的事实应提供充分证据予以证明的责任。该责任在诉讼过程中可在当事人之间来回转移；其二为「说服责任」〔burden of persuasion〕，即当事人说服事实认定者确信其所提证据指向的事实为真实的责任。依传统观点，说服责任在诉讼的任一阶段都不会由当事人一方转移给另一方。承担证明责任的一方对其主张的证明还必须达到法定的标准，才可使自己免受不利裁判。在不同的案件中该标准也不同。在大多数民事案件中及对某些刑事辩护主张(如精神不正常〔insanity〕)，适用「证据优势」〔preponderance of the evidence〕的标准；在某些民事案件(如关于民事欺诈〔civil fraud 〕)中，适用「清楚而令人信服的证明」〔clear and convincing proof〕的标准；而在刑事案件中对被告人有罪的证明则必须达到「排除合理怀疑」〔beyond a reasonable doubt〕的程度。

The burden of proof is always on the person who brings a claim in a dispute. It is often associated with the Latin maxim semper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit, a translation of which in this context is: "the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays charges."[2] In civil suits for example, the Plaintiff bears the burden of proof that the Defendant's action or inaction caused injury to the Plaintiff, and the Defendant bears the burden of proving an affirmative defense. The party that does not carry the burden of proof is presumed to be correct, until the burden shifts after party with the burden of proof meets its burden. An example is in an American criminal case, where there is a presumption of innocence by the defendant. Once a party meets its burden of proof, the burden then shifts to other party. 相关例句如下，可供参考：

例句1

One is reversing the burden of proof for corporate claimants: if they want to Sue for libel, they would have to show that the published material actually damaged their business.

其中之一就是对法人原告的证明责任倒置：如果他们想以诽谤为由起诉，他们必须证明出版物对他们的业务造成了实质损害。

例句2

It would also reverse the burden of proof, requiring owners to show they acquired land legally and without violence or threats.

这也改变了证明责任，要求土地所有人证明他们合法、非暴力或通过威胁获得土地。

证明责任：Burden of Proof

无论是刑事或民事案件，提出控诉的一方，都负有举证的责任，即是向法庭提出证据，支持控诉和申索的事由。虽然在一般的情况下，向法庭举证是主控和原告的责任，但如果被告在刑事案中被法庭判罪之后，再被受害人以民事追讨赔偿，则在有关的民事诉讼中，如果被告否认他对受害人的损失需要负上赔偿的责任，被告便有责任向法庭举证，支持他的抗辩。