In
law, a
conviction is the
verdict that results when a
court of law finds a
defendant guilty of a
crime. The opposite of a conviction is an
acquittal (i.e. "not guilty"). In
Scotland and in the
Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "
not proven", which counts as an acquittal. There are also cases where the court orders that a defendant not be convicted, despite being found guilty; in the England, Wales and Canada the mechanism for this is a
discharge.