Constitution

Complete Listing of Sections

Part 1- Preamble to Section 144

Part 2 - Section 145 to End

Preamble

BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 1 ... Rights of life, liberty, worship, pursuit of safety and happiness, free speech, acquiring and protecting property, peaceable assembly, redress of grievances, bearing arms.

Section 2 ... Absolute and arbitrary power denied.

Section 3 ... Men are equal -- No exclusive grant except for public services -- Property not to be exempted from taxation -- Grants revocable.

Section 4 ... Power inherent in the people -- Right to alter, reform, or abolish government.

Section 5 ... Right of religious freedom.

Section 6 ... Elections to be free and equal.

Section 7 ... Right of trial by jury.

Section 8 ... Freedom of speech and of the press.

Section 9 ... Truth may be given in evidence in prosecution for publishing matters proper for public information -- Jury to try law and facts in libel prosecutions.

Section 10 ... Security from search and seizure -- Conditions of issuance of warrant.

Section 11 ... Rights of accused in criminal prosecution -- Change of venue.

Section 12 ... Indictable offense not to be prosecuted by information -- Exceptions.

Section 13 ... Double jeopardy -- Property not to be taken for public use without compensation.

Section 14 ... Right of judicial remedy for injury -- Speedy trial.

Section 15 ... Laws to be suspended only by General Assembly.

Section 16 ... Right to bail -- Habeas corpus.

Section 17 ... Excessive bail or fine, or cruel punishment, prohibited.

Section 18 ... Imprisonment for debt restricted.

Section 19 ... Ex post facto law or law impairing contract forbidden -- Rules of construction for mineral deeds relating to coal extraction.

Section 20 ... Attainder, operation of restricted.

Section 21 ... Descent in case of suicide or casualty.

Section 22 ... Standing armies restricted -- Military subordinate to civil -- Quartering soldiers restricted.

Section 23 ... No office of nobility or hereditary distinction, or for longer than a term of years.

Section 24 ... Emigration to be free.

Section 25 ... Slavery and involuntary servitude forbidden.

Section 26 ... General powers subordinate to Bill of Rights -- Laws contrary thereto are void.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT

Section 27 ... Powers of government divided among legislative, executive, and judicial departments.

Section 28 ... One department not to exercise power belonging to another.

THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

Section 29 ... Legislative power vested in General Assembly.

Section 30 ... Term of office of Senators and Representatives.

Section 31 ... Time of election and term of office of Senators and Representatives.

Section 32 ... Qualifications of Senators and Representatives.

Section 33 ... Senatorial and Representative districts.

Section 34 ... Officers of Houses of General Assembly.

Section 35 ... Number of Senators and Representatives.

Section 36 ... Time and place of meetings of General Assembly.

Section 37 ... Majority constitutes quorum -- Powers of less than a quorum.

Section 38 ... Each House to judge qualifications, elections, and returns of its members -- Contests.

Section 39 ... Powers of each House as to rules and conduct of members -- Contempt -- Bribery.

Section 40 ... Journals -- When vote to be entered.

Section 41 ... Adjournment during session.

Section 42 ... Compensation of members -- Length of sessions -- Legislative day.

Section 43 ... Privileges from arrest and from questioning as to speech or debate.

Section 44 ... Ineligibility of members to civil office created or given increased compensation during term.

Section 45 ... Collector of public money ineligible unless he has quietus.

Section 46 ... Bills must be reported by committee, printed, and read -- How bill called from committee -- Votes required for passage.

Section 47 ... Bills to raise revenue must originate in House of Representatives.

Section 48 ... Resources of Sinking Fund not to be diminished -- Preservation of fund.

Section 49 ... Power to contract debts -- Limit.

Section 50 ... Purposes for which debt may be contracted -- Tax to discharge -- Public vote.

Section 51 ... Law may not relate to more than one subject, to be expressed in title -- Amendments must be at length.

Section 52 ... General Assembly may not release debt to State or to county or city.

Section 53 ... Investigation of accounts of Treasurer and Auditor -- Report, publication, submission to Governor and General Assembly.

Section 54 ... No restriction on recovery for injury or death.

Section 55 ... When laws to take effect -- Emergency legislation.

Section 56 ... Signing of bills -- Enrollment -- Presentation to Governor.

Section 57 ... Member having personal interest to make disclosure and not vote.

Section 58 ... General Assembly not to audit nor allow private claim -- Exception -- Appropriations.

Section 59 ... Local and special legislation.

Section 60 ... General law not to be made special or local by amendment -- No special powers or privileges -- Law not to take effect on approval of other authority than General Assembly -- Exceptions.

Section 61 ... Provision to be made for local option on sale of liquor -- Time of elections.

Section 62 ... Style of laws.

COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS

Section 63 ... Area of counties -- Boundaries -- Creation and abolishment of counties.

Section 64 ... Division of county or removal of county seat, election required -- Minimum population of county.

Section 65 ... Striking territory from county -- Liability for indebtedness.

IMPEACHMENTS

Section 66 ... Power of impeachment vested in House.

Section 67 ... Trial of impeachments by Senate.

Section 68 ... Civil officers liable to impeachment -- Judgment -- Criminal liability.

THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Officers for the State at Large

Section 69 ... Executive power vested in Governor.

Section 70 ... Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Term -- Tie vote.

Section 71 ... Gubernatorial succession.

Section 72 ... Qualifications of Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- Duties of Lieutenant Governor.

Section 73 ... When terms of Governor and Lieutenant Governor begin.

Section 74 ... Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Section 75 ... Governor is Commander-in-Chief of army, navy and militia.

Section 76 ... Power of Governor to fill vacancies.

Section 77 ... Power of Governor to remit fines and forfeitures, grant reprieves and pardons -- No power to remit fees.

Section 78 ... Governor may require information from state officers.

Section 79 ... Reports and recommendations to General Assembly.

Section 80 ... Governor may call extraordinary session of General Assembly, adjourn General Assembly.

Section 81 ... Governor to enforce laws.

Section 82 ... Succession of Lieutenant Governor.

Section 83 ... (Repealed 1992)

Section 84 ... When Lieutenant Governor to act as Governor -- President of the Senate not to preside at impeachment of Governor -- Certification of disability of Governor.

Section 85 ... President of Senate -- Election -- Powers.

Section 86 ... Compensation of President of the Senate.

Section 87 ... Who to act as Governor in absence of Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate.

Section 88 ... Signature of bills by Governor -- Veto -- Passage over veto -- Partial veto.

Section 89 ... Concurrent orders and resolutions on same footing as bill.

Section 90 ... Contest of election for Governor or Lieutenant Governor.

Section 91 ... Constitutional State officers -- Election -- Qualifications -- Term of office -- Duties -- Secretary of State to record acts of Governor and report them to General Assembly.

Section 92 ... Qualifications of Attorney General.

Section 93 ... Succession of elected Constitutional State Officers -- Duties -- Inferior officers and members of boards and commissions.

Section 94 ... (Repealed 1992)

Section 95 ... Time of election of elected Constitutional State officers.

Section 96 ... Compensation of Constitutional State officers.

Officers for Districts and Counties

Section 97 ... Commonwealth's Attorney and Circuit Court Clerk -- Election -- Term.

Section 98 ... Compensation of Commonwealth's Attorney.

Section 99 ... County officers, justices of the peace, and constables -- Election -- Term.

Section 100 ... Qualifications of officers for counties and districts.

Section 101 ... Qualifications and jurisdiction of constables.

Section 102 ... Officers for new counties.

Section 103 ... Bonds of county officers and other officers.

Section 104 ... Abolishment of office of assessor -- Assessor may not succeed himself.

Section 105 ... Consolidation of offices of sheriff and jailer.

Section 106 ... Fees of county officers -- Fees in counties having seventy-five thousand population or more.

Section 107 ... Additional county or district offices may be created.

Section 108 ... Abolishment of office of commonwealth's attorney.

THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

Section 109 ... The judicial power -- Unified system -- Impeachment.

The Supreme Court

Section 110 ... Jurisdiction -- Quorum -- Special justices -- Districts -- Chief Justice.

The Court of Appeals

Section 111 ... Composition -- Jurisdiction -- Administration -- Panels.

The Circuit Court

Section 112 ... Location -- Circuits -- Composition -- Administration -- Jurisdiction.

The District Court

Section 113 ... Location -- Districts -- Composition -- Administration -- Trial commissioners -- Jurisdiction.

Clerks of Court

Section 114 ... Selection -- Removal.

Appellate Policy -- Rule-Making Power

Section 115 ... Right of appeal -- Procedure.

Section 116 ... Rules governing jurisdiction, personnel, procedure, bar membership.

Offices of Justices and Judges

Section 117 ... Election.

Section 118 ... Vacancies.

Section 119 ... Terms of office.

Section 120 ... Compensation -- Expenses.

Section 121 ... Retirement and removal.

Section 122 ... Eligibility.

Section 123 ... Prohibited activities.

Section 124 ... Conflicting provisions.

Section 125 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 126 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 127 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 128 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 129 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 130 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 131 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 132 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 133 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 134 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 135 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 136 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 137 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 138 ... (Repealed 1975)

Section 139 ... (Repealed 1975)

COUNTY COURTS

Section 140 ... County Court for each county -- Judge -- Compensation -- Commission -- Removal.
Section 141 ... (Repealed 1975)

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Section 142 ... Justices' districts -- One Justice for each district -- Jurisdiction and powers of Justices -- Commissions -- Removal.
Section 143 ... (Repealed 1975)

FISCAL COURTS

Section 144 ... Fiscal Court for each county -- To consist of Justices of the Peace or Commissioners, and County Judge -- Quorum.

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