<title>acquital</title>

<meta>acquital</meta>

<type>lawglossaryitem</type>



To be acquited of a crime is to be deemed to be innocent of
the charges after a court hearing. This is different from a
<a href=lawglos_Discharge.html>Discharge</a>, where the case is never heard. In
general, a defendant who is acquited can not be tried again
for the same offence. If more than one defendant is on
trial for the same offence (see: <a href=lawglos_Accomplice.html>Accomplice</a>),
the acquital of one of them is not admissible as evidence
in favour of the others. A conviction, however, is
admissible against the other defendants. This is because an
acquital is not `proof' of innocence, it is merely an
indication that the prosecution did not establish a case
strong enough for a conviction. In other words, `innocent
until proven guilty' does not mean that `all are innocent
until all are proven guilty'. 
<p>
<a href=lawglos_CriminalLaw.html>CriminalLaw</a>