What is the purpose of Georgia's Declaration of Rights?

• A. To protect individual liberties and civil rights, functioning as a state Bill of Rights.
• B. To set the official state motto.
• C. To regulate municipal zoning laws.
• D. To determine the salaries of state officials.

Answer: (A)

The Georgia Declaration of Rights functions as the state’s own Bill of Rights, listing fundamental liberties and civil protections that the government may not abridge. It sets limits on state power and gives Georgians a basis to challenge laws or government actions in state court when those rights are at stake. In other words, it establishes what residents are assured by the state and provides the framework for protecting those freedoms through the judicial system.

This isn’t about setting a motto, regulating local land use, or determining how much state officials are paid. Those functions come from other parts of law and government authority, whereas the Declaration of Rights specifically secures individual rights and restrains governmental overreach.