The New Jersey State Constitution: A Reference Guide

This comprehensive reference guide provides an in-depth study of New Jersey’s constitution. The year 1997 marks the fiftieth anniversary of New Jerseys wellregarded state constitution. State constitutions, although the highest source of law within a state, are not well understood by citizens, government officials, historians, political scientists, lawyers, or even judges. This book is the first single volume to combine a detailed review of New Jersey’s constitutional history and analysis of each section of the current constitution. It is the standard work on New Jersey constitutional development and law. Divided into two parts, the book first covers the historical development of the constitutions of 1776, 1844, the Constitutional Commission of 1873, and the current constitution written in 1947. It then traces the origins and major judicial interpretations of each section of the present-day constitution. It concludes with an exhaustive bibliographical essay which organizes the most complete listing of primary and secondary sources to date.