Great news! You may be innocent: the theoretical scope of the presumption of innocence

The presumption of innocence is a basic human right acknowledged in almost every human rights agreement and has been considered a matter of customary international law. Despite the fact that the presumption is widely recognized there is no universally accepted meaning as to its scope. The scholarly debate on the issue ranges from a limited scope confined only to the accused during the actual trail to the presumption being part of a wider duty that everyone should hold out towards everyone else, and that it is not just a right held at trial, but a part of a greater responsibility as a community. I will discuss the scholarly debate on the scope of presumption of innocence. Through this, I will give examples of how the theoretical scopes would work in practice.