Civil Liberties Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Civil Liberties?
Civil liberties are the rights and freedoms that all individuals have in a society. These liberties include the right to freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and due process. They also include freedom from discrimination or arbitrary interference with one’s life by the government or any other public authority.The concept of civil liberties has been around for centuries as an aspect of natural law theory. Early philosophers such as Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas argued that citizens should be free from arbitrary interference from government agents acting on behalf of their own interests rather than those of the people they represent. This idea was enshrined in the Magna Carta in 1215 which stated that No freeman shall be taken or imprisonedexcept by lawful judgment of his peersthus providing individuals with protection against unfair treatment by public authorities. The concept was further developed during the Enlightenment period when thinkers such as John Locke argued for a system of government based on individual liberty and limited government power over its citizens. In 1689, England passed The Bill Of Rights which provided protection against religious discrimination and ensured certain rights including freedom from arrest without cause, trial by jury and protection against cruel punishment. The US Constitution also established several civil liberties such as religious freedom through its First Amendment and due process through its Fifth Amendment guaranteeing fair legal proceedings for all citizens regardless of race or religion. Today, civil liberties remain an important part of modern democracies around the world. In many countries there are laws protecting individual rights such as those outlined in The Bill Of Rights or the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights which guarantees fundamental freedoms to everyone regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation among other things. Civil liberties are seen to be essential components for ensuring open societies where individuals can live free from oppressive governments or unjust social control structures like racism and sexism among others.