每日法律英语词条（14）：​Clear and convincing evidence

每日法律英语词条每日精选一个重要的法律英语词条，梳理这个词条的含义和相关判例。

Clear and convincing evidence is a standard of proof that is more rigorous than the one that is generally employed in civil litigation.

明确且令人信服的证据的证明标准比通常适用于民事诉讼中的证明标准要更为严格。

These range from the least rigorous “preponderance of the evidence” used in most civil cases to the most rigorous “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used in criminal cases. Somewhere in between is “clear and convincing evidence,” a standard of proof that is employed when proof by a preponderance of the evidence is not considered to be demanding enough. Standards of proof are generally established by statutes and case law.

明确且令人信服的证据的证明标准介于在大多数的民事案件中适用的优势证据（最不严格的证明标准）与刑事案件中的排除合理怀疑（最严格证明标准）之间。在适用优势证据标准时被认为并不足够的时候就会适用这一（更为严格的）证明标准。证明标准通常在立法和判例中得以确认。

Preponderance of the evidence is the appropriate standard of proof for ordinary civil lawsuits because it allocates the risk of loss equally between the parties. Sometimes, however, rights or interests of such importance are involved in a civil suit that one side deserves greater protection than the other. In such instances, stated the Supreme Court, the clear and convincing evidence standard provides “a middle level of burden of proof that strikes a fair balance between the rights of the individual and the legitimate concerns of the state” ( 441 U.S. 418).

对于一般的民事诉讼而言，优势证据的证明标准是妥适的，因为该证明标准能够公平的在当事人之间分配败诉的风险。然后，有时候在民事诉讼中涉及很重要的权利或者利益，一方当事人比另一方更值得保护，在这种情况下，最高法院称，明确且令人信服的证据的证明标准是适中的，它使个体的权利和国家的合理关切之间取得了恰当的平衡。

For example, determination of paternity must be by clear and convincing evidence, as must termination of parental rights. Civil commitment of a mentally ill person requires proof by clear and convincing evidence, as does the determination as to whether an incompetent person who is terminally ill may have life-sustaining treatment withheld or withdrawn. The clear and convincing evidence standard is also used in civil cases involving adverse possession of property, libel and slander, and fraud and deceit. 

比如，亲子关系的确定以及终止必须达到“明确其令人信服的证据”的证明标准，精神病人所为的民法上的承诺、无行为能力的病危患者是否保留或者撤掉生命维持装置的决定等证明标准都需要达到“明确且令人信服”。该标准也适用于涉及房屋逆权侵占、诽谤和诋毁以及欺诈和欺骗的判例中。

总结：

美国存在的三种证明标准：分别是

①优势证据（Preponderance of the evidence）；

②明确且令人信服的证据（明确且令人信服的证据）；

和③排除合理怀疑（beyond a reasonable doubt）。

前两个证明标准应用于民事案件中，第三个应用于刑事案件中。

大部分民事案件运用的是“优势证据”（只需要50%的盖然性就可以确定事实存在）

一些特殊的民事案件会运用“明确且令人信服的证据”的证明标准，，通常适用于合同中的意思表示不真实、违反诚信等特殊事项的证明，这些事实一般都由法律做出特别规定，且往往是出于公共政策上的目的。

                                 
欢迎关注锦曦书斋


复习一下：
每日法律英语词条（13）：Defamation
每日法律英语词条（12）：Res judicata→Claim preclusion
每日法律英语词条（11）：Punitive /exemplary /vindictive damages
每日法律英语词条（10）：Strict liability
每日法律英语词条（9）：subject to
每日法律英语词条（8）：Asylum

每日法律英语词条（7）：arbitration

每日法律英语词条（6）：Assisted reproductive technologies (ART)

每日法律英语词条（5）：Appellate jurisdiction
每日法律英语词条（4）：Censorship
每日法律英语词条（3）：Administrative discretion
每日法律英语词条（2）：Accessory
每日法律英语词条（1）：Abstention


                                          

点个在看，一起打卡吧