Constitutional Law

A number of legal challenges have been raised across the United States challenging “nutriloaf” and other poor prison meals as a form of cruel and unusual punishment, and a violation of the inmates' Eight Amendment Rights.

While the Constitution does not specifically mention a right to privacy, the U.S. Supreme Court has noted in several decisions that it believes this right exists in the “penumbra” of several other, specifically enumerated rights, such as the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments, and as such the citizens are entitled to it under the catch-all provision of the Ninth Amendment.

When an officer asks you to empty your pockets, allow a search of your car, or for some other consent to search, how do you say “no” without bringing on more suspicion and a possible arrest?

Body paint as clothing falls into a gray area. Most states' and municipalities' anti-nudity laws are silent on body paint, which leaves law enforcement in the difficult position of making judgment calls.

How does the law deal with the debate between free expression, art, and the crime of defacing others' properties?

Considered by many to be the most important rights established by the United States Constitution, the First Amendment rights cover some of the most fundamental freedoms Americans enjoy. They include free speech, press, religion, petition, and assembly.

Since the creation of the U.S. Constitution, however, the United States has had laws regarding declaring war. Certain military actions can be taken without formal declarations of war, others cannot. So what are the laws regarding declaring war?

While many believe that if they are not “read their rights” they will escape punishment for criminal acts, it is not quite so clear cut.

What is Sharia law, and is it really something that Americans should be concerned about? Is anti-Sharia law actually more dangerous to American freedoms than the moral code it seeks to prohibit?

What is Sharia law, and is it really something that Americans should be concerned about? Is anti-Sharia law actually more dangerous to American freedoms than the moral code it seeks to prohibit?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of the 4,400 colleges and universities in the United States do not allow students or faculty to carry guns on campus.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This website provides information on the Constitution of European countries.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.