Portal:Law/Statute/Week 30 2006

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. Textually, it prohibits the federal legislature from making laws that:


 * Establish a state religion or prefer certain religion (the "Establishment Clause");
 * Prohibit free exercise of religion (the "Free Exercise Clause");
 * Infringe the freedom of speech;
 * Infringe the freedom of the press;
 * Limit the right to assemble peaceably;
 * Limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment only explicitly disallows any of the rights from being abridged by laws made by Congress, but as the first sentence in the body of the Constitution reserves all law-making ("legislative") authority to Congress, the courts have held that this extends to the executive and judicial branches. Additionally, in the 20th century the Supreme Court has held that the Due Process clause of the 1868 Fourteenth Amendment "incorporates" the limitations of the First Amendment to also restrict the states.

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