Know Your Rights

The Constitution was made for the people, and not the people for the Constitution." Theodore Roosevelt Know Your Rights (KYR) is the first edition of a literature series within the Dis My Rights publications on The Bahamas Constitution. The author Lanisha T. Rolle penned her thoughts on The Constitution and the Bill of Rights Articles as a result of her experience, knowledge, and research as a Bahamian Politician, and Counsel and Attorney-at-Law in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The book was inspired based on the need for high school leavers and everyday citizens from primary years to tertiary levels to become familiar with and understand the importance of The Constitution, the individual rights it protects, in addition to the freedoms it secures for the people of The Bahamas. There is an age-old maxim, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." This means that individuals who offend the law will be held accountable for their offensive actions, whether or not they know they have broken the law. The 1973 Independence Order, better known as 'The Constitution,' is the supreme law of The Bahamas. Consequently, every citizen has a responsibility to abide by and benefit from every provision penned in their interest and, ultimately, for the nation's peace, order, and good governance. This book is intended to serve as a tool to educate Bahamian citizens and others interested in familiarizing themselves with the fundamental aspects of The Bahamas Constitution in practical terms and in a language they can understand. The author breaks down the protections afforded to each individual based on the Constitution's Articles that guarantee their fundamental rights and freedoms in what is known as the Bill of Rights provisions. Knowledge is power. This book also seeks to empower the Commonwealth of The Bahamas' inheritors by bridging the knowledge gap among the citizenry concerning the purpose and powers vested in them through the Constitution document. The contents of this book, and in particular, its conversational aspects, will inform all Bahamians of their rights and inspire dialogue, literature, and constructive conversations among multiple sectors, demographics, and classes of the citizenry. The overriding goal of the Dis, My Rights series is to bring awareness to the Bahamian people of their role in ensuring their Constitution reflects a living document that is practical, relevant, and beneficial to all individuals, industries, and entities vested in a 21st Century Independent Bahamas. Each book copy carries a Know Your Rights 'KYR Access Card' that gives the owner quick and easy access to the Bahamian Bill of Rights Articles, and the list of International Human Rights recognized by the United Nations. It is hoped that each reader will be equipped with a better understanding of their constitutional rights, appreciate the value of those rights, and recognize that the Constitution was made to benefit their well-being, secure their personal development, and preserve the collective and perpetual advancement of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.