Odious and dishonest acts are not presumed in law.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The law will not presume that any person acted dishonorably or committed an odious act; wrongdoing must be affirmatively proved, not inferred from mere suspicion.

Where this applies

• A business partner is accused of secretly funneling company funds into his personal account — the court won't presume he did it; fraud must be proved with actual evidence, not assumed.
• A trustee managed an estate for years, and an heir suspects mismanagement but has no proof — the law presumes the trustee acted honestly until dishonesty is affirmatively shown.
• A public official is accused of accepting bribes based on nothing more than his expensive car — the law does not presume corruption from lifestyle alone.