Politics

Brickbat: It Is Better That 10 Innocent Persons Suffer Than One Guilty One Escape

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New Zealand's two major political parties, concerned that not enough men are being convicted of rape, are considering changes to centuries-old legal protections enjoyed by criminal defendants. The Labor Party wants to remove the assumption of innocence, shifting the burden of proof to the defendant in rape cases. Meanwhile, the National Party wants to allow judges and jurors to view a defendant's refusal to testify or provide evidence in a negative light.