Does The Constitution Guarantee Civil Liberties?
The US Constitution does indeed offer a limited guarantee of civil liberties. Its major limitations are that it only applies retrospectively, so that a civil-liberty infringing law must first be enacted and implemented before it can be challenged in the courts; and that the liberties granted are often vaguely defined and subject to varied interpretations. As the composition of the Supreme Court changes over time, so too can its interpretation of the Constitution.
