| Bill of Rights | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an English statute of 1689 guaranteeing the rights and liberty of the individual subject |
| 2. | the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, added in 1791, which guarantee the liberty of the individual |
| 3. | (in Canada) a statement of basic human rights and freedoms enacted by Parliament in 1960 |
| 4. | (usually not capitals) any charter or summary of basic human rights |
The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Among other provisions, they protect the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and the press (see First Amendment); restrict governmental rights of search and seizure; and list several rights of persons accused of crimes (see Fifth Amendment).
Note: After the new Constitution was submitted to the states in 1787, several approved it only after being assured that it would have a bill of rights attached to it. Accordingly, these amendments were passed by the first Congress under the Constitution and were ratified by the states in 1791.