<P> The Seventh Amendment (Amendment VII) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights . This amendment codifies the right to a jury trial in certain civil cases and inhibits courts from overturning a jury's findings of fact . </P> <P> An early version of the Seventh Amendment was introduced in Congress in 1789 by James Madison, along with the other amendments, in response to Anti-Federalist objections to the new Constitution . Congress proposed a revised version of the Seventh Amendment to the states on September 28, 1789, and by December 15, 1791, the necessary three - quarters of the states had ratified it . Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson announced the adoption of the amendment on March 1, 1792 . </P> <P> The Seventh Amendment is generally considered one of the more straightforward amendments of the Bill of Rights . While the Seventh Amendment's provision for jury trials in civil cases has never been incorporated (i.e., applied to the states) almost every state voluntarily complies with this requirement . The prohibition of overturning a jury's findings of fact applies to federal cases, state cases involving federal law, and to review of state cases by federal courts . United States v. Wonson (1812) established the historical test, which interpreted the amendment as relying on English common law to determine whether a jury trial was necessary in a civil suit . The amendment thus does not guarantee trial by jury in cases under maritime law, in lawsuits against the government itself, and for many parts of patent claims . In all other cases, the jury can be waived by consent of the parties . </P> <P> The amendment additionally guarantees a minimum of six members for a jury in a civil trial . The amendment's twenty dollar threshold has not been the subject of much scholarly or judicial writing; that threshold remains applicable despite the inflation that has occurred since the 18th century . </P>

Which system of law is the seventh amendment based on