What is constitutional law?

• A. A statement of the general principles upon which a society or organization is founded
• B. Laws created by private individuals
• C. Procedural steps for courts
• D. Rules created by the executive branch only

Answer: (A)

Constitutional law is the body of law that outlines the structure and powers of government and protects fundamental rights against government action. It expresses the general principles on which a society is founded, such as limits on governmental power and guarantees of individual freedoms. This includes how laws are made, how government branches interact, and the rights people retain under the Constitution, as interpreted by courts. It’s not about laws created by private individuals, which fall outside public constitutional framework. It isn’t just procedural steps for courts—which are about how cases move through the system—nor is it limited to rules from the executive branch; constitutional law binds all branches and provides the framework and protections that govern criminal justice practices, like due process and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.