The Bill of Rights and the USA.

The first link is for the American Bill of rights - look closely at the rationale behind it in the first paragraph. The second is the Virginia Bill of Rights, which was amazingly influential. These bills were drafted for a fledling nation who had been betrayed by the British law which had been imposed upon  them.

 

http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/billrights/billmain.html

http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/billrights/virginia.html

 

Bills of rights are drafted to limit the power of the state. Prior to their drafting is some concept of how the ordinary citizen is to be treated.