The obligation of a party in a legal proceeding to prove their claims or allegations with sufficient evidence. The burden typically falls on the plaintiff in civil cases and the prosecution in criminal cases.
From Old French 'burden' (load) and Latin 'probare' (to test or prove). The legal concept developed in medieval European courts to establish which party must present evidence, evolving from ancient practices of trial by ordeal to rational evidence-based proceedings.
The burden of proof is like a legal hot potato - whoever has it must convince the judge or jury, and if they can't meet their burden, they lose even if the other side presents no evidence at all!
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