-
Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
Citizens of England who were against the king drafted the Magna Carta to reduce the power of the king. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is an important document that delivers a statement about the English legal reform movement. This eventually led to a civil war and the end of King Charles 1, which occurred in 1649. The Petition of Right explains the liberties of a common man which even the king cannot take away. -
Body of Liberties
The Body of Liberties was adapted in Massachusetts. It is one of the earliest document that protects the individual rights of common man. It includes many of the rights that are later used in the Bill of Rights. The rights that are listed in the Body of liberties, that aren't in the Bill of Rights are now known as fundamental rights. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights consist of the first ten amendments of the Constitution. Previous documents have influenced the ideas of the Bill of Rights. The 1st amendment includes the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom to assemble, and the freedom to petition. -
NAACP v. Button
In VA, lawyers are not allowed to “improperly” seek out clients.The NAACP sought out parents of children who had been discriminated against in public schools. The NAACP gave the parents a petition to sign to give to the state, along with advice about their rights. The state said the NAACP was “improperly” seeking out their clients, but since they did it peacefully, the court ruled that the NAACP was legally allowed to do this, and preventing it would be taking away their freedom to petition. -
Meyer v. Grant
States were against people hiring individuals to spread petitions to get more signatures. The court decided that Grant had the right to hire petition circulators and restricting that right would be taking away their first amendment right: right to petition. -
Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation
The state of Colorado had 6 limitations to their petition process. The Supreme Court decided to review 3 of the 6 limitations. The Court ruled that states could not require petition circulators to be registered voters, wear name badges, or disclose information about themselves and their salaries, because it is unconstitutional.
