Legal Definitions - amendment

An amendment is a formal change or addition made to a law, constitution, or other legal document. It can be a correction, deletion, or alteration in wording. The process of making such a change is also called an amendment.

• When the Constitution was first written, it did not include a Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution were added later to protect individual rights.
• A party in a legal case may request an amendment to their pleading, which is a formal written statement of their claims and defenses.
• In parliamentary law, an amendment is a motion that changes the wording of another motion. For example, a member of a legislative body may propose an amendment to a bill to modify its provisions.

These examples illustrate how an amendment can be used to modify or improve a legal document or proposal. It allows for changes to be made to better reflect the needs and values of society.