Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam Law and Legal Definition
Argumentum ad ignorantiam means an argument from ignorance. It is negative evidence. It is a logical fallacy that provides that a statement is true only because it has not been proven false, or a statement is false only because it is not proven true. A person considers or asserts that something is false and implausible because the thing is not proven true. A person’s ignorance in a matter can be used as an evidence in favor of an alternative view of the person’s choice.
If there is a lack of evidence for one hypothesis, an alternative for that hypothesis can be considered as true. However, in criminal law, there is a presumption of innocence. If there is a mere lack of evidence of innocence it will not constitute an evidence of guilt. Similarly, mere lack of evidence of guilt cannot be taken as evidence of innocence.
