Article 11: Presumption of Innocence
FULL TEXT
Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which [they have] had all the guarantees necessary for [their] defence.
No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Student TEXT
If you are accused of a crime, you have the right to be considered innocent until you are proven guilty. You have the right to defend yourself or have a lawyer defend you. No one should be punished for something that was not illegal when they did it.
Resources
Article 11 in the News
Further Learning
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document in the history of human rights and international relations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Amnesty International
Overview of the UDHR by Amnesty International, an international NGO supporting human rights
30 Articles on the 30 Articles – Article 11: Presumption of Innocence
Explanatory articles on each right contained in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Explainer Video – Article 11: Presumption of Innocence
Short videos about each of the UDHR’s 30 articles by the Platform of European Memory and Conscience. Each video includes testimony from a witness to atrocities by European totalitarian regimes.