Due process of law is a basic principle in the American legal system that requires fairness in the government's dealing with persons. The term due process of law appears in the 5th and 14th amendments to the Constitution of the United States. These amendments forbid federal, state, and local governments from depriving a person of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." The Supreme Court of the United States has never clearly defined these words, and has applied them to a number of widely different situations.