A conclusive presumption, also known as an irrebuttable presumption, is a legal assumption that cannot be disputed or challenged by evidence to the contrary. Once a conclusive presumption is established in law, it must be accepted as true in all relevant circumstances, and no evidence can be introduced to counter it.
In legal contexts, conclusive presumptions are often applied to establish certain facts that are considered so fundamentally recognized by the law that they require no further proof. For instance, if a law states that a person under a certain age cannot enter into a binding contract, that age is typically a conclusive presumption regarding the ability to contract.
Conclusive presumptions can serve various purposes, such as protecting certain vulnerable parties (e.g., minors) or promoting certainty and efficiency in legal proceedings. Because they cannot be rebutted, they often require careful consideration in their application to ensure fairness and justice.
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