Amendment 14 · Ratified July 9, 1868
The 14th Amendment ensures that individuals are afforded due process and equal protection under the law, significantly influencing civil rights and liberties in the United States.
Source: U.S. Const. amend. 14
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
The 14th Amendment prohibits states from denying any individual their basic rights without fair procedures. It ensures equal protection under the law for all citizens.
Ratified during the Reconstruction era, the 14th Amendment aimed to secure the rights of newly freed slaves and ensure their equal treatment under state laws. Its due process clause was particularly significant in addressing the injustices faced by African Americans in the post-Civil War South.
This test is applied when a law discriminates based on suspect classifications or affects fundamental rights.
This standard is used for laws that do not discriminate against suspect classifications or involve fundamental rights.
Holding: The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution implicitly guarantees citizens' right to privacy in marital relations.
Significance: This case extended the interpretation of due process to include a right to privacy, influencing later cases related to reproductive rights.
Holding: The Court held that a woman’s right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment's due process clause.
Significance: This ruling affirmed personal privacy rights under the due process clause and has been a pivotal case in the ongoing debate over reproductive rights.