(ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Sept. 7, 2010) Just in time for Constitution Day on Sept. 17, the Maryland Judiciary has created an interactive webpage to help students and citizens learn more about our system of government, the Constitution of the United States, and Maryland’s Constitution. The page can be accessed from the Judiciary’s home page, www.mdcourts.gov, and includes links to educational websites and games, as well as a message from Chief Judge Robert M. Bell of the Maryland Court of Appeals.

Constitution Day, held each year on Sept. 17, commemorates the date of the signing of the United States Constitution in 1787. Schools that receive federal funding are required, by law, to observe the day.

“I urge students and all citizens to learn more about our Constitution throughout the year, not just on September 17,” Judge Bell said. “The Constitution of the United States and our state constitution outline the framework of our government, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

“The judicial branch interprets the laws,” Judge Bell continued. “It is independent, and its decisions need not, and in fact, do not, reflect the most popular opinion or the politically expedient course of action. An independent judiciary — free of, and unfettered by, politics and political constraints, politicizing rhetoric, or the popular opinion of the moment — is essential not simply to our system of government, but also gives meaning to, and in reality defines, the rule of law.”

The direct link to the Maryland Judiciary’s Constitution Day webpage is http://mdcourts.gov/education/constitution_day.html.

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Media: For more information, contact the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, 410-260-1488.