Constitutional Law



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Constitutional Law deals with constitutions as they set out the general framework of government. Government entities and specific provisions providing for human rights and civil rights, which are part of some constitutions, are set out in the appropriate sections. Commercial matters are likewise dealt with in the commercial law section.

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Constitutional Law - US

  • ABA - Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice

    The Constitutional Law and Separation of Powers Committee focuses on constitutional issues relevant to practitioners and scholars who concentrate on administrative and regulatory matters. The Committee considers the constitutional parameters of federal-state relationships; most particularly, the scope of the federal government's regulatory powers and its powers to impose liabilities or responsibilities upon states.

  • Constitution of the United States

    The Constitution of the United States comprises the primary law of the U.S. Federal Government. It also describes the three chief branches of the Federal Government and their jurisdictions. In addition, it lays out the basic rights of citizens of the United States. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest Federal constitution in existence and was framed by a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen original states in Philadelphia in May 1787. The Constitution is the landmark legal document of the United States.

  • Constitutional Law - Overview

    As the Constitution is the foundation of the United States, constitutional law deals with fundamental social relationships, such as relationships among the states, the states and the federal government, the three branches of the federal government, and the rights of the individual. The study of constitutional law focuses heavily on Supreme Court rulings, as they are very crucial for interpreting the Constitution.

  • General Principles of Constitutional Law

    This manual presents succinctly the general principles of constitutional law, whether they pertain to the federal system, to the state system, or both. Some general principles of constitutional law, which formerly were left exclusively to state protection, are now brought within the purview of the federal power, and this manual attempts to show the part they take in federal as well as state government.

  • State Constitutions

    The LII collection of state legal materials gathers, state by state, Internet-accessible sources of the constitutions, statutes, judicial opinions, and regulations for the fifty states, plus D.C., and the U.S. territories and affiliated jurisdictions.

Constitutional Law - Europe

  • Constitutions of European Countries

    This website provides information on the Constitution of European countries.

  • European Constitutional Reform

    A list of links to various documents regarding the establishment of a constitution for Europe, provided by the European Constitutional Law Network (ECLN).

  • European Union Constitution

    This website is aimed at researchers, journalists and citizens interested in learning about the European constitutional process. It brings together facts, official documents, analysis, bibliographies, links and other resources relevant to the main steps in this process.

Constitutional Law - International

  • Constitutional Law of Canada

    The written part of Canada’s constitution consists of statutes of the Imperial (that is, the United Kingdom) Parliament, the Parliament of Canada and the legislatures of the Canadian provinces. The major constitutional document is the British North America Act, 1867, later renamed the Constitution Act, 1867.

  • International Constitutional Courts

    This page, provided by the Council of Europe, is a full list of hyperlinks to the official web sites of the world's constitutional courts.

  • International Constitutional Law

    ICL joins different efforts to establish a scientific platform and network for people interested in the subject matter of research.

  • International Constitutional Law (ICL)

    International Constitutional Law (ICL) provides English translations of and other textual material related to constitutional documents. It cross-references those documents for quick comparison of constitutional provisions. Paragraphs are numbered, unofficial titles put in square brackets to be included into the table of contents.

  • Magna Carta

    The full text of the Magna Carta (The Great Charter), the text that formed the basis of Constitutional Law as we know it today, translated into English.

Organizations Related to Constitutional Law

  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

    The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), founded in 2001, is one of USA's leading non-partisan, non-profit legal organizations. ACS a network of lawyers, law students, scholars, judges, policymakers and other individuals, with a mission to ensure that fundamental principles enjoy a central place in American law. Click here to learn more about our goals.

  • International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL)

    The IACL is a worldwide association of constitutional scholars and jurists grappling with the unprecedented challenges of a new world order. Its objective is to provide a forum in which constitutionalists from all parts of the world can begin to understand each other’s systems, explain and reflect on their own, and engage in fruitful comparison.

  • The Constitution Society

    This site aims to provide almost everything needed to decide what is and is not constitutional in most situations, and what applicable constitutions require one to do. The Constitution Society is a private non-profit organization dedicated to research and public education; it publishes documentation, engages in litigation, and organizes local citizens groups to work for reform.

Publications Related to Constitutional Law

  • Federalist Papers

    The original text of the Federalist Papers (also known as The Federalist), provided by the Library of Congress.

  • Founders' Constitution

    Hailed as "the Oxford English Dictionary of American constitutional history," the print edition of The Founders' Constitution has proved since its publication in 1986 to be an invaluable aid to all those seeking a deeper understanding of one of our nation's most important legal documents.

  • History of the Constitutional Convention

    This page explores the history of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the ratification debates, the adoption of the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.

  • Vienna Online Journal on International Constitutional Law

    The Vienna Online Journal on International Constitutional Law is a quarterly-published eJournal bringing articles on recent developments in international constitutional law from researchers, scholars and other professionals. Besides putting the spotlight on constitutional developments, it serves as a window on Austrian Constitutional Law to the English speaking world and offers an insight into interesting books on international constitutional law.

Articles on HG.org Related to Constitutional Law

  • Which Countries Score the Worst for Women's Rights?
    While American women are generally treated with little distinction from men under American law, it has not always been so. Indeed, it is still not this way in many parts of the world. A recent survey of countries ranked the legal standing of women in various nations and compiled a list of the nations with the most legal distinctions between the rights of men versus those of women.
  • Puerto Rican Island Residents Sue US Government for Human Rights Violations
    After decades of live fire exercises on the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, the US government ceased to fire on the island in 2003. Nevertheless, the legacy of those training exercises linger on, and now a group of residents have filed a lawsuit against the US government claiming human rights violations.
  • Washington Shipyard Shooting Stirs Debate Over Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms
    On Monday, September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis opened fire in the Washington Naval Shipyard, killing 12 naval and civilian personnel before he was ultimately killed himself by law enforcement. However, much to the surprise of the general public, the weapon that Alexis used to kill 12 innocent people was legal, since when he purchased it, Alexis had no record of either a misdemeanor or felony conviction.
  • Secret Court Ruling Explains Government's Legal Justification for Warrantless Collection of Phone Data
    Since the revelation by former government contractor, Edward Snowden, that the federal government had been spying on US citizens for years, the opinions of both the public and a number of elected officials have shown strong disapproval for this conduct.
  • Debate Over Corporate Funding of Contraception May Go to US Supreme Court
    A provision of the Affordable Care Act (also frequently referred to as “Obamacare”) requries that corporations of 50 or more employees must issue FDA-approved contraceptives as part of their health plan. However, a legal advocacy group has announced that it will ask the US Supreme Court to take up a Michigan manufacturing company’s challenge to the requirement.
  • Nudity and Public Decency Laws in America
    In recent years, incidences of public nudity have increased. In some instances, this is innocent fun, like ritual moonings in Orange County, California, and worldwide naked bike riding events.
  • When Cops Accidentally Shoot Someone, What is the Consequence?
    On a Saturday night in September, 2013, an emotionally disturbed man ran through Times Square in New York City mimicking the action of firing a gun at police. Believing in the heat of the moment that they may actually be under fire, the officers responded with actual bullets, hitting two innocent bystanders. Just a few months earlier, nine bystanders were hit by police bullets during a shootout with a disgruntled man who shot a former coworker in the financial district.
  • Encrypted Email Service Begins Appeal of Surveillance Order in Wake of Revelation of Government Surveillance
    Lavabit, a company that offers encrypted email services to its customers, has formally appealed the secret surveillance order that led it to close its business last month, but the case was immediately placed under seal in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Why is Pornography Legal and Prostitution is Not
    It seems like the headlines are constantly filled with new stories of politicians quite literally caught with their pants down in scandals with prostitutes. This often raises the question of why we do not treat prostitution in the same was as pornography. Why is sex for money okay in one setting and not another?
  • Lessons on International and Constitutional Law Found in Current Syria Debate
    Whether you believe the current administration's handling of the dispute in Syria has been well handled or not, and whether you are for or against intervention, the back and forth process provides interesting insights into the processes of both international and constitutional law.
  • All Civil Rights Articles

    Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Civil Rights including: constitutional law, consumer law, discrimination, human rights, native populations, privacy law, public law and sexual harassment.