What document prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments?

The correct answer is the English Bill of Rights. This historical document, enacted in 1689, explicitly addresses various civil liberties, including the prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments. These principles were influential in shaping later legal frameworks and constitutional protections in various jurisdictions, including the United States.

The English Bill of Rights served as a precedent for the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment, which similarly prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments. By recognizing these rights, the English Bill of Rights laid an essential foundation for the protection of individual liberties within legal systems.

While the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Federal Bail Reform Act of 1984 also address related issues, they do not serve as the original source of these specific prohibitions. The Judiciary Act of 1789 primarily dealt with the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system, and did not focus on bail or punishment standards.