magna carta

• Magna Carta History

  • drafted by the archbishop of canterbury and intended to promote peace between king john and his barons
  • signed ar runnymede in 1215
  • neither side actually stood by many commitments they had made
  • magna carta was reissued a number of times between 1215 and 1297 (by edward I) who embedded it into statute law
• Main Points of the Magna Carta

  • king john and previous kings had governed according to vis et voluntary or 'force and will' i.e. the king was the executive and above the law
  • magna carta promised protection of church rights, the principle of habeas corpus (no illegal imprisonment), access to a fair trial + quick justice and limited taxes
  • magna carta quickly became outdates - by 1350 over half of its clauses were no longer in use: by the tudor reign, monarchs had reasserted their authority
• Original Meaning of Magna Carta

  • equality in terms of rule of law
  • accountability of our leaders
  • source of liberty
• Magna Carta - Forerunner of human rights

  • inspiration for future documents such as the 1689 bill of rights, france's declaration of the rights of man and the citizen 1789, and the US bill of rights 1791
  • effectively absorbed into UK common law
• Magna Carta - Evidence of engaged citizens

  • different generations have reinterpreted Magna Carta's principles to fi with contemporary society

  e.g. prevention of abuse of power by parliament