The Bill of Rights is the first ten Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. It spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.

The Bill of Rights also sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government to the people or to the states. And it specifies that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

In Rhode Island, as in all states, the Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments provide a framework of protections for individual liberties and rights against infringement by the federal government. Key freedoms include the rights to free speech, free press, free exercise of religion, and the right to peaceably assemble. The Bill of Rights also includes protections for individuals in legal proceedings, such as the right to a fair trial, protection against self-incrimination, and protection against excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment. The Tenth Amendment specifically reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people, emphasizing the federalist structure of the government. Rhode Island state law must comply with the protections afforded by the Bill of Rights, and the state cannot pass or enforce laws that would infringe upon these constitutional rights. Additionally, the Ninth Amendment indicates that the listing of certain rights in the Constitution does not mean that individuals do not hold other rights; this provides a broad spectrum of potential unenumerated rights that are also protected.