Americans Who’ve Lived Abroad Are Sharing What Other Countries Do Better Than The US

20.

“Our justice system is degrading faster than a speeding bullet. However, in France, you are guilty when charged and have to prove your innocence.”

—Anonymous, 81, Female, Delaware

Editor’s note: Legally, France does uphold the presumption of innocence, as established in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. However, France’s inquisitorial legal system — which relies on judge-led investigations and permits extended pretrial detention — differs significantly from the US adversarial system. For Americans accustomed to judges acting as neutral referees, these procedures can create the perception that defendants must actively prove their innocence.