T he word "burden" can be used in many ways. Something very heavy that people carry can be called a burden. Pulling a rickshaw is a burden for the rickshaw puller. There are no more rickshaws in Hong Kong but it is common to see elderly people pushing a burden of discarded (thrown away) cardboard boxes to sell. The word "burden" can also mean a problem, something that is difficult to do, or a duty. Students have the burden of exams. Paying tax is a burden for many people. Hong Kong's common law system puts the burden, or the duty, of proof (noun) on the police, not on people who are accused of breaking the law. The police must provide proof (evidence) to show a person is guilty.
Legislative councillor Claudia Mo Man-ching complained last week that it was unfair for the Legislative Council to put the burden of proof on her to show she did not receive political donations from Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai Chee-ying. Ordinarily, I would agree it is unfair to put the burden of proof on her. However, the pan-democrats have often put the burden of proof on political opponents after accusing them of breaking the law. A good example is Franklin Lam Fan-keung. The pan-democrats wrongly accused him of using confidential information as an executive councillor to make profits from selling his property. They put the burden of proof on him to show he was innocent. He had to resign from Exco but the ICAC said later he did nothing wrong. Mo Man-ching should stop using double standards by complaining about the burden of proof being put on her.
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若警方因為你做了甚麼非法的事而拘捕你，你不用證明（prove）自己清白。警方得舉證（prove）你有罪。是以，舉證責任（burden of proof）在於警方。To prove（動詞）就是以事實或證據證明某事是真確的。若你涉嫌穿過住所窗戶向路人撒尿（peeing，俚語）而被警方逮捕，那警方就得證明（prove）你確實從窗戶向外撒尿（peed）。
Burden這個字可以有多重用法。人們肩負的沉重包袱可稱為burden。拉人力車對車伕而言也是個擔子（burden）。香港再沒有人力車了，但仍可不時見到老人家推着一擔子（burden）的廢棄（discarded）紙皮箱去變賣。Burden也可解作難做的事或工作。學生有考試的負擔（burden）。交稅對於許多人而言也是重擔（burden）。香港的普通法將舉證（proof，名詞）的責任（burden）交予警方，而非被控犯法的人。警方必須提供證據（proof）證明某人是有罪的。
立法會議員毛孟靜上星期投訴，立法會將舉證的責任（burden of proof）加諸於其身上，要她證明自己並無收受《蘋果日報》老闆黎智英的政治捐獻，是不公允的。平常我都會認同，將舉證責任（burden of proof）放在她身上，有欠公允。然而，泛民也常常在指責政敵犯法後，將舉證責任（burden of proof）加諸其身。林奮強就是一個好例子。泛民錯誤指責他就任行政會議成員之時，借用機密資訊，賣樓以圖利。他們也將舉證責任（burden of proof）加在他身上，要他自己表明無辜。他得辭去行政會議的職務，但廉署後來也說他沒有做錯。毛孟靜不應再用雙重標準，抱怨別人將舉證責任（burden of proof）加諸於她了。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=296470§ion_name=wtt&kw=126