Legal Definitions - onus

Onus

"Onus" refers to a responsibility or burden, often one that is challenging or unwelcome. In legal settings, it frequently denotes the obligation to prove a particular fact or point.

• Example 1 (Business Compliance): A technology company seeking to merge with a competitor might face the onus from regulatory bodies to demonstrate that the merger will not create an unfair monopoly in the market.

  Explanation: This illustrates "onus" as the significant responsibility placed upon the company to provide evidence and arguments to satisfy regulators that their proposed action is lawful and beneficial.

• Example 2 (Environmental Law): If a factory is accused of polluting a local river, the onus might be on the factory to prove that its operations comply with all environmental protection laws and that it is not the source of the pollution.

  Explanation: Here, "onus" represents the burden of proof or the obligation for the factory to present sufficient evidence to demonstrate its innocence or compliance in the face of an accusation.

• Example 3 (Product Liability): When a consumer claims that a defective product caused them injury, the onus is often on the consumer to provide evidence linking the product's defect directly to their injury.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates "onus" as the responsibility of the injured party to gather and present compelling evidence to support their claim against the product manufacturer.