Civil Liberties Definition

A term sometimes used to describe certain freedoms believe, or to act or to refrain from acting, without inappropriate government interference. While there has been much lively debate over the source of civil liberties, today, most recognized civil liberties are treated as being derived from:

• specific guarantees found in the Bill of Rights (for example, the First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion and freedom to speak, and the Fifth Amendment right to be free from compelled self-incrimination), and
• the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment due process clauses (which presently protect the liberties to marry, live with family members, and have children, among others).

Because civil liberties are protections from government interference, private actors can't be liable for violating them unless they're also protected by a statute or some other legal authority. For instance, if your neighbor refuses your request to place a political sign in their front yard, your neighbor hasn't violated your First Amendment freedom to speak. On the other hand, if your county commission passed an ordinance banning political yard signs, that's government interference with your liberty to speak.

Compare: Civil rights