Reframing judicial proof
Insights from dialectical argumentation theory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6456909 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bin Wei (0000-0002-6895-7007, Zhejiang University Guanghua Law School, Hangzhou, China; Law & AI Lab, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 289-307 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The International Journal of Evidence & Proof (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1365-7127 • E-ISSN: 1740-5572 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13657127251324033 |
| OpenAlex | W4409479514 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
Judicial proof can be reinterpreted as a dynamic process of dialectical argumentation, based on modern argumentation theory and situated within the adversarial legal framework. It reflects the dialogical nature of reasoning, where plaintiffs and defendants present supporting arguments, challenge opposing claims through counterarguments and engage in interactive exchanges to persuade the adjudicator. The adjudicator carefully evaluates these arguments to ensure they meet established standards of proof and to determine whether the burdens of production and persuasion have been satisfied. This process develops through distinct phases: constructing arguments during evidence presentation, interacting with arguments during cross-examination and evaluating arguments during closing arguments. By drawing on minimal rationality theory, this study highlights that rational fact-finding emerges not from rigid probabilistic methods but from the structured interplay of arguments and counterarguments that characterises adversarial proceedings. This reconceptualisation clarifies the rational, explanatory and dialogical aspects of judicial proof, offering both a stronger theoretical understanding of its logical structure and practical insights into how adversarial processes ensure fairness and accuracy in fact-finding
Argumentation theory · Burden of proof · Cognitive reframing · Dialectic · Epistemology · Political science · Proof of concept · Artificial Intelligence in Law · Computer Science · Jury Decision Making Processes · Law · Multi-Agent Systems and Negotiation · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology
Fundamentals of Critical Argumentation
A Mathematical Theory of Evidence
On the acceptability of arguments and its fundamental role in nonmonotonic reasoning, logic programming and n-person games
The New Dialectic
Rationality, Algorithms and Juridical Proof
The nature of juridical proof
Foundations of Evidence Law
Philosophical Foundations of Evidence Law
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |