how did the virginia declaration of rights influence the bill of rights
Virginia Declaration of Rights Articles 7â€“16 propose restrictions on the powers of the government, declaring the government should not have the power of suspending or executing laws, "without consent of the representatives of the people";[13] establishing the legal rights to be "confronted with the accusers and witnesses, to call for evidence in his favor, and to a speedy trial by an impartial jury of his vicinage," and to prevent a citizen from being "compelled to give evidence against himself."[14] protections against "cruel and unusual punishments",[15] baseless search and seizure,[16] and the guarantees of a trial by jury,[17] freedom of the press,[18] freedom of religion ("all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion"),[19] and "the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free state" rested in a well regulated militia composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, that standing armies in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty;[20] Article 8 protects a person against "being deprived of his liberty except by the law of the land" which later evolved into the due process clause in the federal Bill of Rights.[18] Article 12 is the first ever codification of the right to a free press and was an important precursor to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[21]