Question

Looking at the amendments and Supreme Court decisions, how close does the Constitution come to meeting the benchmarks today? Examine each benchmark and three examples of each. Has the Constitution become a more democratic? What work needs to be done to meet these benchmarks?

Answer 1

Amendments by the Supreme Court have been the most talked about affair in the recent times. Some of the constitutional amendments have been largely applauded by the citizens and in the gradual space of time, these amendments have taken the shape of natural way of living for the people. Let us discuss a few of such amendments and their implications.

                              One of the latest amendments was the right to association. Right to association encompasses an individual to associate himself to any other individual or group of individuals or firms or any organization structure of his or her choice. There can be no restriction imposed on any individual or firm in order to delineate themselves from the association of his or her liking.

                               Another very important landmark amendment was the Freedom of Religion. People in our country are entitled to choose or follow any religion as they wish to. Religion is deemed as private to an individual and there can be totally no restrictions over having one’s faith in any religious belief and following it.

                              Yet another very important landmark amendment was the freedom of speech and of the press. Freedom of speech is perhaps the most important amendment made to the constitution of the country. It is one’s belief and thought process that everybody is entitled to. Without freedom of speech, we cannot express our views and thinking and in such a situation, the country would become a totally articulated nation.

                             With the passage of time, the constitution has become more democratic, as with every new amendment and change done to the constitution, the missed factors or elements of the older constitution gets rectified and a better evolved constitution comes up. These amendments are a need of time and they must be done with the change in our society and believes.

                             To meet the benchmarks, we, the people must be well adjugated and we must be ready to go to the supreme court for our rights and believes. Only when we are ready to approach the right authority, better decisions can be expected and the overall society will become more livable.