Constitution

A constitution is a document that sets out the fundamental principles and rules of a government, and defines the powers and duties of the government and the rights and responsibilities of the citizens. Constitutions typically establish the structure and function of the government, and they often include provisions related to individual rights and freedoms.

Constitutions serve as the supreme law of a country or other political entity, and they provide a framework for the operation of the government. They often include provisions for the creation and powers of branches of government, such as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and they may also include provisions for the amendment of the constitution itself.

Constitutions are important because they establish the legal and political foundations of a country or other political entity, and they provide a basis for the rule of law. Many countries have written constitutions that are codified into a single document, while others have unwritten constitutions that are based on a combination of legal traditions and practices.

 

 

The story behind why Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery
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The story behind why Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery

Last week, Louisiana voters struck down an amendment to its constitution that would have prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. The four other states where slavery was on the ballot – Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont – approved similar referenda. Louisiana was put in the national spotlight for rejecting the change. Trevor Noah did an entire…

Louisiana decides tax reform, prison labor amendments
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Louisiana decides tax reform, prison labor amendments

Louisiana residents voted on eight amendments to the state’s constitution last week. (Jude Papillion) Much of the focus of last week’s midterm elections was on candidates, but Louisiana residents also voted on eight amendments to the state’s constitution, ranging in issues from property taxes to language about slavery. The amendments did not make it to…

End of slavery exception in state constitutions could reform prison labor
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End of slavery exception in state constitutions could reform prison labor

In the days when the COVID-19 virus was new, less understood and more deadly, officials in Louisiana turned to state prison inmates to produce essential but scarce products to slow the rapid spread of the virus. There were occupational hazards and health concerns for the imprisoned people mixing chemicals to create hard-to-find hand sanitizer. For…

Improving the proposed EU regulation to ban forced labour products: a model law
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Improving the proposed EU regulation to ban forced labour products: a model law

10 November 2022 In the latest blog, Sian Lea and Rocio Domingo Ramos from the Business and Human Rights team discuss the proposed EU regulation to ban forced labour products and introduce our model law.   Image credit: Alexandre Lallemand, via Unsplash. On 14 September 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a law…

Forced Prison Labor Was Also on the Ballot
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Forced Prison Labor Was Also on the Ballot

Terrancé Akins worked the entire seven years that he was incarcerated in the Hardeman Correctional Facility, a private prison contracted to imprison people in Tennessee. “You couldn’t not have a job,” he told The Nation. “We cooked. We cleaned. We washed the clothes. We taught the classes. The whole operation of the facility was dependent…

U.S. voters reject slavery ‘exception’ in midterm elections
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U.S. voters reject slavery ‘exception’ in midterm elections

This week, voters in five American states were balloted on wording in their constitutions that permits slavery as a punishment for crime. Tennessee, Alabama, Vermont and Oregon voters chose to fully abolish legal slavery in all forms in their jurisdictions. The punishment or exception clause in the Thirteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “Neither…

Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where on ballot
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Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where on ballot

Voters in four states have approved ballot measures that will change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, while those in a fifth state rejected a flawed version on the question. The measures approved Tuesday could curtail the use of prison labor in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont. In…

Four States Vote to Ban Prison Labor and the “Slavery Loophole”
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Four States Vote to Ban Prison Labor and the “Slavery Loophole”

In the lead up to the election, pundits strained themselves bending over backwards to claim that Democrats’ focus on so-called “social issues” leaves them out of touch from the everyday concerns “ordinary” people deal with. But surprise: The results of the 2022 midterms prove otherwise. All five states with abortion on the ballot—California, Michigan, Vermont,…

Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where it was on the ballot
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Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where it was on the ballot

Voters in three states approved ballot measures that will change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, while those in a fourth state rejected the move. The measures approved Tuesday curtail the use of prison labor in Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont. In Oregon, “yes” was leading its anti-slavery ballot initiative, but…