Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 1/5/15: The Declaration of Independence

While some have argued that the Declaration of Independence is part of the “organic law” of the U.S., the prevalent view is that the Declaration is not a legal document. It did not create a new government or enact any laws, and none of its provisions have any legal force unless subsequently enacted into law. The Declaration is more accurately said to be a political document that severed ties with Great Britain and proclaimed the then-revolutionary concept that government derived its power from the people.

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