Magna Carta
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For everyone
In 1215 King John of England accepted a document limiting royal power in an agreement with rebel barons. Its most famous clause says that no free man may be punished except by lawful judgement. The Pope annulled it within months, but it was reissued in later years and became a symbol of the rule of law.
For specialists
Most of the 63 clauses of the 1215 text concern feudal rights; clause 39 (clause 29 in the 1225 version) contains the guarantee of lawful judgement. In the 17th century jurists such as Coke reinterpreted it in favour of common-law rights and representation. Historians stress the difference between the document's meaning in its own time and the symbolic meaning it later acquired.
Claims
Positions
- Historian J. C. Holt
- In its time the document was a peace settlement; seeing it as a charter of universal liberties is a reading of later centuries.[2]
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Magna Carta. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/magna-carta/
@misc{athena_magna_carta,
title = {Magna Carta},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/magna-carta/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history