same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in its eyes,
shall be equally eligible to all high offices, public positions and employments,
according to their ability, and without other distinction than that of their virtues
and talents.
No man may be accused, arrested or detained except in the cases determined
by the Law, and following the procedure that it has prescribed. Those who solicit,
expedite, carry out, or cause to be carried out arbitrary orders must be punished;
but any citizen summoned or apprehended by virtue of the Law, must give instant
obedience; resistance makes him guilty.
The Law must prescribe only the punishments that are strictly and evidently
necessary; and no one may be punished except by virtue of a Law drawn up and
promulgated before the offense is committed, and legally applied.
As every man is presumed innocent until he has been declared guilty, if it
should be considered necessary to arrest him, any undue harshness that is not
required to secure his person must be severely curbed by Law.
No one may be disturbed on account of his opinions, even religious ones, as
long as the manifestation of such opinions does not interfere with the established
Law and Order.
The free communication of ideas and of opinions is one of the most precious
rights of man. Any citizen may therefore speak, write and publish freely, except
what is tantamount to the abuse of this liberty in the cases determined by Law.
To guarantee the Rights of Man and of the Citizen a public force is
necessary; this force is therefore established for the benefit of all, and not for the
particular use of those to whom it is entrusted.
For the maintenance of the public force, and for administrative expenses, a
general tax is indispensable; it must be equally distributed among all citizens, in
proportion to their ability to pay.
All citizens have the right to ascertain, by themselves, or through their repre-
sentatives, the need for a public tax, to consent to it freely, to watch over its use,
and to determine its proportion, basis, collection and duration.
Society has the right to ask a public official for an accounting of his
administration.
Any society in which no provision is made for guaranteeing rights or for the
separation of powers, has no Constitution.
Since the right to Property is inviolable and sacred, no one may be deprived
thereof, unless public necessity, legally ascertained, obviously requires it, and just
and prior indemnity has been paid.
Article 7
Article 8
Article 9
Article 10
Article 11
Article 12
Article 13
Article 14
Article 15
Article 16
Article 17
DECLARATION OF HUMAN AND CIVIC RIGHTS
2
Issue 2002