Doubt Quote by Lord Hailsham
“A reasonable doubt is nothing more than a doubt for which reasons can be given. The fact that 1 or 2 men out of 12 differ from the others does not establish that their doubts are reasonable.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: House of Lords Debate, 1972
A doubt is reasonable only when it can be supported by logical reasons; mere minority opinion does not make a doubt reasonable.
In simple terms: Reasonable doubt needs logical support, not just being a minority view.
Key Takeaway
Provide evidence for any doubt you claim.
Themes
law
reasoning
justice
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- courtroom deliberations
- jury decisions
- policy debates
- academic discussions
Key Concepts
epistemology
burden of proof
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess whether a doubt is logically grounded?
- When should minority opinions be trusted?
A Different Perspective
A single dissenting view may still be unreasonable if lacking justification.
![“Until recent times, absence of evidence for his [Jehovah's] existence has not been sufficient to rule him out. However, we now have enough knowledge that we can identify many places where there should be evidence, but there is not. The absence of that evidence allows us to rule out the existence…” quote by Victor J. Stenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/923/victor-j-stenger-16236_absence_until-recent-times-absence-of-evidence-f_385888.jpg)
