What principle ensures that Illinois’ laws cannot violate individual rights?

Due Process is a fundamental principle that guarantees the protection of individual rights under the law. In the context of the Illinois Constitution, it refers to the legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person. This means that laws must be applied fairly and consistently, ensuring that individuals receive a fair trial and have an opportunity to defend themselves against legal proceedings.

The concept of due process protects citizens from arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property, establishing legal safeguards against potential abuses of power by the government. By embedding this principle into the Constitution, Illinois ensures that laws are not only enacted with the intention of serving the public good but also uphold the rights and dignities of individuals within the state.

In contrast, other options, like Checks and Balances or Separation of Powers, are mechanisms employed to prevent any one branch of government from gaining too much power over the others but do not directly address the individual rights of citizens in the same way that Due Process does. Home Rule pertains to the powers granted to local governments to govern themselves, which does not specifically focus on the protection of individual rights. This distinction reinforces the significance of Due Process as the correct answer.