以上術(shù)語均和當(dāng)事人對(duì)證據(jù)的責(zé)任相關(guān)，以往不少人將它們都籠統(tǒng)譯為“舉證責(zé)任”，其實(shí)那應(yīng)算作一種錯(cuò)誤，在英美法中，它們?cè)臼怯幸欢ú町惖?。事?shí)上，burden of proof應(yīng)為“證明責(zé)任”（其也稱為onus probandi)，其包含有burden of production和burden of persuasion兩術(shù)語的含義，即既“舉證”，又“說服”。此便是當(dāng)事人必須承擔(dān)的用證據(jù)證明指控或斷言的真實(shí)性的責(zé)任；廣義上講，也等同burden of persuasion[1]。而burden of production 則是“證明責(zé)任”的一部分，為“舉證責(zé)任”， 指當(dāng)事人必須就訴爭(zhēng)問題提供充足證據(jù)以供事實(shí)裁定人作出正確裁決[2]，其也稱為 burden of going forward with evidence, burden of producing evidence, production burden 或 degree of proof。而 burden of persuasion也是“證明責(zé)任”的一部分，其為“說服責(zé)任”，指當(dāng)事人應(yīng)說服事實(shí)裁定人相信自己所舉事實(shí)的責(zé)任[3]，也稱為 persuasion burden，risk of non-persuasion，risk of jury doubt ；廣義上講，也可等于burden of proof。
 
[1]“A party's duty to prove a disputed assertion or charge. The burden of proof includes both the burden of persuasion and the burden of production. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary，7th edition, at p. 190，West Group (1999).
[2]“The requirement that a party to a case introduce evidence to support a claim or defense in order to have that issue considered by the judge or jury. ”Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law, at p. 64, Random House, New York(2000).
[3]“A party's duty to convince the fact-finder to view the facts in a way that favors that party. In civil cases，the plaintiff's burden is usu. by a preponderance of the evidence, while in criminal cases the prosecution's burden is beyond a reasonable doubt. ”Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 190，West Group (1999).