constitutional rights

constitutional rights

n. rights given or reserved to the people by the U. S. Constitution, and in particular, the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments). These rights include: writ of habeas corpus, no bill of attainder, no duties or taxes on transporting goods from one state to another, (Article 1, Section 9), jury trials (Article III, Section 1), freedom of religion, speech, press (which includes all media), assembly and petition (First Amendment), state militia to bear arms (Second Amendment), no quartering of troops in homes (Third Amendment), no unreasonable search and seizure (Fourth Amendment), major ("capital and infamous") crimes require indictment, no double jeopardy (more than one prosecution) for the same crime, no self-incrimination, right to due process, right to just compensation for property taken by eminent domain (Fifth Amendment); in criminal law, right to a speedy trial, to confront witnesses against one, and to counsel (Sixth Amendment), trial by jury (Seventh amendment), right to bail, no excessive fines, and no cruel and unusual punishments (Eighth amendment), unenumerated rights are reserved to the people (Ninth amendment), equal protection of the laws (14th amendment), no racial bars to voting (15th amendment), no sex bar to voting (19th amendment), and no poll tax (24th amendment). Constitutional interpretation has expanded and added nuances to these rights. (See: constitution, Bill of Rights)

Copyright © 1981-2005 by Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill. All Right reserved.
References in classic literature ?
All profess to be content in the Union if all Constitutional rights can be maintained.
Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their CONSTITUTIONAL right of amending it, or their REVOLUTIONARY right to dismember or overthrow it.
The rulers of the respective members, whether they have a constitutional right to do it or not, will undertake to judge of the propriety of the measures themselves.
Should it be asked, what is to be the redress for an insurrection pervading all the States, and comprising a superiority of the entire force, though not a constitutional right? the answer must be, that such a case, as it would be without the compass of human remedies, so it is fortunately not within the compass of human probability; and that it is a sufficient recommendation of the federal Constitution, that it diminishes the risk of a calamity for which no possible constitution can provide a cure.
Burke's plea was that although England had a theoretical constitutional right to tax the colonies it was impracticable to do so against their will, that the attempt was therefore useless and must lead to disaster, that measures of conciliation instead of force should be employed, and that the attempt to override the liberties of Englishmen in America, those liberties on which the greatness of England was founded, would establish a dangerous precedent for a similar course of action in the mother country itself.
It also proposed to provide adequate protection against any encroachment or erosion of the state's constitutional rights and safeguards.
The question arises here why this government is suppressing the constitutional rights of elected people.
The revocation of scholarships given to 'anti-government students,' which is being proposed by National Youth Commission (NYC) chair Ronald Cardema, is a violation of constitutional rights, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday.
Multan -- Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday dismissed opposition parties' concerns regarding the 18th Amendment as he assured that the provinces' constitutional rights are under no threat.
Foreign minister says there's no threat to constitutional rights of provinces and democracy MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday dismissed concerns raised by the opposition parties regarding the 18th Amendment, saying there was no threat to provinces' constitutional rights.
He said that constitutional rights would be granted to GB people as per their wishes.
GILGIT -- The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday vowed to ensure the constitutional rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan if voted to power.

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