Fundamental Rights | Definition & List

Fundamental Rights Defined

Bailey and Ryan were planning to be married. Bailey had often wondered how couples were given the right to marry. After she completed some research, Bailey found that it was her fundamental right to get married. But what exactly is a fundamental right?

Fundamental rights are a group of rights that the Supreme Court recognizes as being fair and legal, and are also rights that are listed within the Bill of Rights. Not only are fundamental rights covered by the Bill of Rights, but each state constitution can also have fundamental rights. Let's take a closer look at some examples of fundamental rights.

Types of Fundamental Rights

There are several types of fundamental rights. The Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment are considered Fundamental Rights. These rights include:

• The right to due process
• The right to freedom of speech
• The right to freedom of religion
• The right to privacy
• The right to marry
• The right to interstate and intrastate travel
• The right to equality
• The right to assemble
• And the right to bear arms

Specifically, the right to marry is not mentioned in the Constitution but it is considered a fundamental right. We can examine these rights closer and look at why they are considered fundamental.

Features of Fundamental Rights

As citizens of the U.S., we are given the right to due process. The right to due process is part of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Should we be facing criminal charges, we have the right to be treated fairly. The Fourteenth Amendment ensures citizens the right to life, liberty, and property. A citizen must be given a fair chance to prove their innocence. A feature of the right to due process, under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, is that the government does not have the ability to take away our life, liberty, or property without due process.

Some of the most widely-known fundamental rights are covered in the First Amendment. As citizens of the U.S., we have rights that allow us to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to assemble. The feature to these rights is that they cannot be taken away from us. They are clearly stated in the First Amendment and are undeniably our rights.

Now that we have looked at a few of the written fundamental rights, let's look at the fundamental rights that are not in black and white. One of the unwritten rights includes the right to marry. According to the Fourteenth Amendment, U.S. citizens have the right to liberty, which includes the right to marry.