CivilLiberties

•What are they?

•Where are they found?

Civil Liberties Are protections given to Are protections given to

individuals against action of individuals against action of the government.the government.

Usually the protections are Usually the protections are written in a Constitution.written in a Constitution.

Civil Liberties American civil liberties are American civil liberties are

set down in the Bill of set down in the Bill of Rights, as the first ten Rights, as the first ten amendments are known.amendments are known.

Civil LibertiesThey include freedoms of:They include freedoms of:

religionreligion speech & pressspeech & press assemblyassembly

Civil Liberties They also include protections:They also include protections:

against arbitrary searchesagainst arbitrary searches unfair trialsunfair trials cruel punishmentscruel punishments

Civil Liberties Interpreting what these Interpreting what these

rights mean is not easy.rights mean is not easy. The job of doing that in the The job of doing that in the

U.S. falls to the Supreme U.S. falls to the Supreme Court.Court.

Civil Liberties For example, the court has For example, the court has

decided that one’s right to decided that one’s right to free speech does not include free speech does not include the right to yell “fire” in a the right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater.crowded theater.

Civil Liberties In the end, interpreting the In the end, interpreting the

meaning of American civil meaning of American civil liberties is a complicated liberties is a complicated balancing act between the balancing act between the needs of society and that of needs of society and that of the individual.the individual.