First Amendment to the United States Constitution restrained but by despotic Governments." Eight of the other twelve states made similar pledges. However, these declarations were generally considered "mere admonitions to state legislatures", rather than enforceable provisions. After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring among other changes a stronger chief executive. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, proposed that the Constitution include a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing civil liberties. Other delegates—including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison—disagreed, arguing
Article 15 of the Constitution of Singapore courts have deferred to the Government as to the necessity for the restrictive legislation. The terms "public health" and "morality" in Article 15(4) have yet to be judicially interpreted. Article 15 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is entitled "Freedom of religion" and reads as follows: In "Nappalli Peter Williams v. Institute of Technical Education" (1999), the Court of Appeal affirmed that the Constitution generally adopts what is known as accommodative secularism by "removing restrictions to one's choice of religious belief". Article 15(1) is "in pari materia" with Article 11(1) of the Constitution of Malaysia, from which it