This work presents the 1947 constitution of New Jersey. It was drafted by a convention of diplomats from each county, assembled from 12 June to 10 September 1947, further strengthening the Office of the Governor and reorganizing and unifying the judicial system under the Supreme Court. Moreover, the document included new rights and protections and required the legislature to provide for "a thorough and efficient system of free public schools."
The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the state has been governed by three constitutions. The first was issued on July 2, 1776, shortly before New Jersey ratified the United States Declaration of Independence and the second was issued in 1844. The current document was issued in 1947 and has been amended several times. The state constitution reinforces the basic rights found in the United States Constitution, but also contains several unique provisions, such as regulations governing the operation of casinos. At 26,159 words, the document is slightly shorter than the average American state constitution (about 28,300 words).
Williams launches our new series with this guide to the state constitution of New Jersey. His volume treats New Jersey's constitutional development since statehood. covering the constitutions of 1776, 1844, up to and including the current constitution written in 1947. Through this in-depth study, Williams is able to provide important insight into the broader issues of New Jersey's political, economic, and social growth. The book's first part traces the constitution's development since statehood, and a second part is a thorough section-by-section analysis of the current constitution. a useful purchase for libraries that specialize in constitutional matters or that want a reference source on their state. Library Journal Robert F. Williams launches our new series Reference Guides to the State Constitutions of the United States with this guide to the New Jersey State Constitution. The New Jersey Constitution is strictly a basic constitutional document, not a code of laws. It remains unblemished and envied. State constitutions have been referred to as `mine(s) of instruction for the natural history of democratic communities.' This in-depth study of New Jersey's constitutional development provides an important insight into the broader issues of New Jersey's political, economic, and social growth. In Part I Williams traces the constitutional development from statehood in 1776 followed by a thorough analysis of the current constitution in Part II. With forewords by G. Alan Tarr and former New Jersey Governor and Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes, Williams' The New Jersey State Constitution: A Reference Guide covers the historical development of the constitutions of 1776, 1844, the Constitutional Commission of 1873, and the current constitution written in 1947. The volume then provides a section-by-section analysis of the present day constitution.
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.
