Natural person

A human being, as opposed to artificial or fictitious "persons" such as corporations. See 209 F. 749, 754; 104 N.Y.S. 510, 511. The phrase "natural person" does not include corporate entities, but the phrase "person" without qualification may or may not include artificial persons, depending on the context. Thus, the phrase "no person" in the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause has been held to include natural and artificial persons, see 118 U.S. 394, 396, but the same phrase "no person" in the Fifth Amendment's "privilege against self-incrimination" clause has been held to include only natural persons and not corporations since the privilege is personal and may not be asserted by an artificial person. See 201 U.S. 43. Business premises are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures and corporations do enjoy Fourth Amendment rights. 429 U.S. 338, 353.

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In jurisprudence, a natural person is a human being, as opposed to an artificial, legal or juristic person, i.e., an organization that the law treats for some purposes as if it were a person distinct from its members or owner.

For example, such legal provisions as Amendment XIX to the United States Constitution, which guarantees a woman's right to vote, or Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees equality rights, apply to natural persons only. In many cases fundamental human rights are implicitly granted only to natural persons; for example a corporation cannot hold public office, but it can file a lawsuit.

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