The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights (or Declaration of Rights) is an act of the Parliament of England, whose formal name is An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown. The Bill of Rights of the United Kingdom is largely a statement of certain rights to which citizens and permanent residents of a constitutional monarchy were thought to be entitled in the late 17th century, asserting subjects' right to petition the monarch, as well as to bear arms in defence. It also sets out—or, in the view of its drafters, restates—certain constitutional requirements of the Crown to seek the consent of the people, as represented in parliament. In this respect, the Bill of Rights differs from other bills of rights, including that of the United States of America, although many of the first eight amendments to the US constitution echo the contents of the 1689 Bill of Rights.[citation needed] Along with the 1701 Act of Settlement the Bill of Rights remains, today, one of the main constitutional laws governing the succession to not only the throne of the United Kingdom, but, following British colonialism, the resultant doctrine of reception, and independence, also to those of the other Commonwealth realms, whether by willing deference to the act as a British statute or as a patriated part of the particular realm's constitution.Since the implementation of the Statute of Westminster in each of the Commonwealth realms (on successive dates from 1931 onwards) the Bill of Rights cannot be altered in any realm except by that realm's own parliament, and then, by convention, and as it touches on the succession to the shared throne, only with the consent of all the other realms.
In the United Kingdom, the Bill of Rights is further accompanied by the Magna Carta and Parliament Acts as some of the basic documents of the British constitution; a separate but similar document, the Claim of Right Act, applies in Scotland. Further, the bill is listed, in the Republic of Ireland's 2006 Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union) Bill, as an English act of parliament to be retained as part of the country's law.
《权利法案》，又译《人权法案》（英文：United States Bill of Rights）指的是美国宪法中第一至第十条宪法修正案。
历史
1787年美国宪法草案提交各州立法机构批准时，有些人提出了宪法无法保障人民基本权利的疑虑(很多人都持怀疑态度，甚至敌视，当时问世的7条正文，没有一条是保障公民人身自由与安全的人权条款)。对此，支持宪法草案的美国联邦党人向美国人民保证，将会在第一届国会会期时在宪法中加入权利法案。同时杰弗逊等人奔走呼吁，要求在宪法中增加包括信仰自由、出版自由、陪审制度等人权条款。以保证“生命权、自由权和追求幸福之权”(独立宣言)。
在宪法获批准后第一届国会开会。大多数议员支持权利法案应该被提出，而有关的权利也应该在宪法中受到保护。起草权利法案的任务就落到了詹姆斯·麦迪逊的身上。麦迪逊在《弗吉尼亚权利法案》的基础上开始着手进行权利法案的起草工作。人们也同意，权利法案将会以宪法修正案的形式被加入到宪法中去，以避免直接修改宪法而需要再次进行冗长的宪法批准过程。
权利法案包括了言论、新闻、宗教与集社等方面的自由与权利。权利法案也向美国人民保证，权利法案中所列出的权利并不是美国人民所能够享有的全部权利，而仅仅是人民所拥有的最重要的权利。
1789年最初有12条修正案被提出，但其中2条未能通过。1791年12月15日，其余的10条修正案获得通过，成为现在所称的《权利法案》。权利法案草案中的第11条在1992年最终获得批准，成为宪法第27条修正案。这条修正案禁止国会随意提高对议员的薪酬。理论上说，第12条的权利法案草案依然在讨论中，但是不太可能获得通过。该草案有关确定国会的成员人数。
权利法案很轻松地通过了众议院审议，但当被提交到参议院时，一条禁止州政府干预人民权利的修正案被删除。由于参议院会议讨论的纪录不对公众开放，人们无法获知该条草案为何被删除。不过1868年通过的第14条修正案被法庭广泛用来禁止州政府对权利的剥夺。
内容美国权利法案的历史稿件（美国国家文件与档案局珍藏）
权利法案的10条修正案包括：
第一条：言论、宗教、和平集会自由； 第二条：持有与佩戴武器的权利； 第三条：免于民房被军队征用； 第四条：免于不合理的搜查与扣押； 第五条：正当程序（Due Process）、一罪不能两判、禁止逼供、禁止剥夺私人财产； 第六条：未经陪审团不可定罪以及被控告方的其他权利； 第七条：民事案件中要求陪审团的权利； 第八条：禁止过度罚金与酷刑； 第九条：未被列入的其他权利同样可以受到保护； 第十条：人民保留未经立法的权利；
权利法案原文第一条 Amendment ICongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
译文：国会不得制定关于下列事项的法律：确立国教或禁止信教自由；剥夺言论自由或出版自由；或剥夺人民和平集会和向政府请愿伸冤的权利。第二条 Amendment IIA well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
译文：纪律严明的民兵是保障自由州的安全所必需的，人民持有和携带武器的权利不可侵犯。第三条 Amendment IIINo Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
译文：未经房主同意，士兵平时不得驻扎在任何住宅；除依法律规定的方式，战时也不得驻扎。第四条 Amendment IVThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
译文：人民的人身、住宅、文件和财产不受无理搜查和扣押的权利，不得侵犯。除依据可能成立的理由，以宣誓或代誓宣言保证，并详细说明搜查地点和扣押的人或物，不得发出搜查和扣押状。第五条 Amendment VNo person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
译文：除非根据大陪审团的报告或起诉书，任何人不受死罪或其他重罪的审判，但发生在陆、海军中或发生在战时或出现公共危险时服役的民兵中的案件除外；任何人不得因同一犯罪行为而两次遭受生命或身体的危害；不得在任何刑事案件中被迫自证其罪；不经正当法律程序，不得被剥夺生命、自由或财产。不给予公平赔偿，私有财产不得充作公用。第六条 Amendment VIIn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
译文：在一切刑事诉讼中，被告有权由犯罪行为发生地的州和地区的公正陪审团予以迅速和公开的审判，该地区应事先已由法律确定；得知控告的性质和理由；同原告证人对质；以强制 程序取得对其有利的证人；并取得律师帮助为其辩护。第七条 Amendment VIIIn suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
译文：在普通法的诉讼中，其争执价额超过二十美元，由陪审团审判的权利应受到保护。由陪审团裁决的事实，合众国的任何法院除非按照习惯法规则，不得重新审查。第八条 Amendment VIIIExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
译文：不得要求过多的保释金，不得处以过重的罚金，不得施加残酷和非常的惩罚。第九条 Amendment IXThe enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
译文：本宪法对某些权利的列举，不得被解释为否定或轻视由人民保留的其他权利。第十条 Amendment XThe powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
译文：宪法未授予合众国、也未禁止各州行使的权力，由各州各自保留，或由人民保留。
影响与评价《权利法案》的第一条，即美国宪法第一修正案对美国影响巨大。美国媒体所享有的一切自由都源于此，在美国，凡是涉及言论、新闻、出版等诉讼，往往都会搬出此，它几乎成为美国媒体或个人言论自由的护身符，不可动摇。以至于美国人把它颂扬为“美国生活方式”的主要内容。
参见美国独立宣言