Constitutional Amendment Law and Legal Definition
Constitutional Amendment refers to changes made to an existing constitution. In U.S., the term constitutional amendment means any modification, deletion, or additions made to the constitution. The process of making an amendment to the constitution in the U.S. is very rigid, and the process requires special methodologies to be followed. In the U.S., Congress is empowered to amend the U.S. Constitution. Any amendment to the constitution can be presented in the form of a bill and must be passed by a two-thirds vote of both the houses namely, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and ratified by three-quarters of the states.
Constitutional amendments are conducted under USCS Const. Art. V. This provision reads: “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate”.
For example the First Amendment is one among the most important amendments made to the U.S. Constitution. This first amendment guarantees freedoms of speech, religion, and press to the citizens of the country.