expression, noun
freedom of the person; personal liberty
A legal and formal term referring to the right to be free from physical restraint or arbitrary detention. Often used in constitutional or human rights contexts.
憲法は身体の自由を保障している。
The constitution guarantees personal liberty.
不当な逮捕は身体の自由の侵害にあたる。
An unjust arrest constitutes a violation of personal freedom.
Compound of 身体 (body, person) and 自由 (freedom). A straightforward legal phrase with no obscure historical derivation.