American law Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Some may remember, if you have good memories, that there used to be a concept in Anglo-American law called a presumption of innocence, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Now that's so deep in history that there's no point even bringing it up, but it did once exist.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Legal History, Noam Chomsky, 2010
The presumption of innocence, once a cornerstone of Anglo‑American law, has faded from public consciousness, making it easy to overlook its importance.
In simple terms: Innocence until proven guilty is forgotten.
Key Takeaway
Remember and defend legal rights.
Themes
justice
law
presumption of innocence
history
Mood
critical
hopeful
Type
educational
persuasive
When to use this quote
- courtroom practice
- public education
- policy reform
- legal advocacy
Key Concepts
legal theory
civil liberties
Questions to Reflect On
- Why is the presumption of innocence vital today?
- How can we revive its significance?
A Different Perspective
Modern rhetoric often undermines this principle.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
