(2) The General Assembly cannot pass a bill of attainder. In English law, a bill of attainder was an act of Parliament which pronounced the sentence of death against an accused person with consequent complete destruction of his civil rights without even a trial being conducted. In the Seventeenth Century these bills were commonly used in England. The writers of the Virginia Constitution did not believe in having an individual punished or convicted of a crime without a trial by jury in a court with proper jurisdiction. This prohibition guarantees a fair trial and means that an individual is "not guilty" until proven "guilty" of violating some law or constitutional provision. (3) The General Assembly cannot pass an ex post facto law. "Ex post facto" literally means "after the fact." An ex post facto law is defined by the United States Supreme Court as one which "makes an action done before the passing of the law, and which was innocent when done, criminal, and punishes such action." Therefore, the legislature cannot pass criminal legislation after an alleged crime has been committed that, if brought to bear against an accused person, would be to his disadvantage. Retroactive criminal legislation which is not detrimental to an accused person is permissible (for example, a law reducing a penalty). Therefore, only those individuals who violated a law after a law has been passed are subject to punishment. (4) The General Assembly cannot pass a law impairing the obligation of contracts. A contract is a formal agreement between two or more persons binding them to a particular action. Such contracts play a most important role in society today and must be regarded with utmost sincerity. The United States Constitution specifically prohibits the states from passing any law which would impair the obligation of contracts, would weaken their effect or would make them more difficult to enforce. (5) The General Assembly cannot pass a law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Individuals are granted the right to participate in political discussion and criticism and in the interchanging of ideas and opinions in general. This, however, does not guarantee absolute freedom: one cannot utter or publish untruths, incite insurrections, encourage the disobedience of laws, defame the government, or give aid and comfort to foreign countries involved in war against the United States. One can easily understand the necessity for such limitations to freedom.