Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands
| Right | Section | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom of Association | History | Written before they gained formal independence in 1986, the 1979 Constitution of the Marshall Islands ensures freedom of association to every person. The right to freedom of association is included in the Bill or Rights found under Section 1 of Article II of the Constitution (Marshall Islands 1979)
Marshall Islands. “Marshall Islands 1979 (rev. 1995) Constitution.” Constitute 1979 https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Marshall_Islands_1995 |
| Freedom of Expression | History | Article 2, Section 1(1) of the 1979 Constitution of the Republic of the Marshall Islands guarantees freedom of speech. Article 2, Section 1(2) describes conditions for exceptions to this rule: "Nothing in this Section shall be construed to invalidate reasonable restrictions imposed by law on the time, place, or manner of conduct, provided: (a) the restrictions are necessary to preserve public peace, order, health, or security or the rights or freedoms of others; (b) there exist no less restrictive means of doing so; and (c) the restrictions do not penalize conduct on the basis of disagreement with the ideas or beliefs expressed."
References: 1979 Constitution of the Republic of the Marshall Islands: https://rmiparliament.org/cms/constitution.html?showall=1 |
| Freedom of Religion | History | The Marshall Islands’ Constitution of 1979 contains the first assertion of freedom of religion in the country’s independent history. Section 1 specifically outlines this right.
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| Freedom of the Press | History | Article II, Section 1 of the Marshall Islands’ 1979 Constitution protects press freedom: “Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and belief; to freedom of speech and of the press; to the free exercise of religion; to freedom of peaceful assembly and association; and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" (Constitute Project, “Marshall Islands’ Constitution of 1979 with Amendments through 1995” ). |
| Privacy Rights | History | Section 13 of the Marshall Islands’ constitution protects personal autonomy. It says: “All persons shall be free from unreasonable interference in personal choices that do not injure others and from unreasonable intrusions into their privacy” (Constitute Project, “Marshall Islands 1979 rev. 1995” ). https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Marshall_Islands_ 1995? lang=en |
| Voting Rights and Suffrage | History | According to Section 3, elections of the members of Nitijela shall be conducted via a secret ballot system based on universal suffrage of those who have attained the age of 18 years or greater unless they are certified insane or are currently serving time for a felony. (Constitute Project, “Marshall Islands’ Constitution of 1979 with Amendments through 1995” ). |