Great Britain is beginning five years of celebration to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. This from the BBC News website:
Adrian Yalland from the Magna Carta Trust explains why the document is so important.
Five years of celebrations leading up to the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta have been publicly launched.
Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke was among the dignitaries at a memorial site in Runnymede, Surrey, where King John sealed the charter of rights in 1215. Mr Clarke spoke of the enduring principles of justice and freedom from oppression.
Exhibitions of the Magna Carta are planned, and there is also a call for 15 June 2015 to be a public holiday.
Mr Clarke, who is also justice secretary, used the occasion to underscore the coalition's ambition to restore the power of individuals against the state. He said all states had "a natural tendency to accumulate more power than they need and to impose more restrictions than are strictly and sensibly necessary".
The full story is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11735060
The Magna Carta is of great importance even today because it was the first legally enforceable, written set of rules intended to protect the oppressed. It is still the basis of Great Britain's Constitution and is remarkable in that it was forced upon a monarch by barons rather than a revolution or civil war. One of the original documents is on display in England and viewed by visitors from the US and all over the world.
Wikipedia has a piece about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta
The original was written in Latin but this English language version is well worth reading and will ring bells with anyone interested in his or her own national constitution. In addition to its provisions, I find fascinating its references to customs and practices of the day and, with that in mind, it must be read in that context, even though some of it may touch our sensitivities today.
http://www.magnacartaplus.org/magnacarta/
Adrian Yalland from the Magna Carta Trust explains why the document is so important.
Five years of celebrations leading up to the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta have been publicly launched.
Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke was among the dignitaries at a memorial site in Runnymede, Surrey, where King John sealed the charter of rights in 1215. Mr Clarke spoke of the enduring principles of justice and freedom from oppression.
Exhibitions of the Magna Carta are planned, and there is also a call for 15 June 2015 to be a public holiday.
Mr Clarke, who is also justice secretary, used the occasion to underscore the coalition's ambition to restore the power of individuals against the state. He said all states had "a natural tendency to accumulate more power than they need and to impose more restrictions than are strictly and sensibly necessary".
The full story is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11735060
The Magna Carta is of great importance even today because it was the first legally enforceable, written set of rules intended to protect the oppressed. It is still the basis of Great Britain's Constitution and is remarkable in that it was forced upon a monarch by barons rather than a revolution or civil war. One of the original documents is on display in England and viewed by visitors from the US and all over the world.
Wikipedia has a piece about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta
The original was written in Latin but this English language version is well worth reading and will ring bells with anyone interested in his or her own national constitution. In addition to its provisions, I find fascinating its references to customs and practices of the day and, with that in mind, it must be read in that context, even though some of it may touch our sensitivities today.
http://www.magnacartaplus.org/magnacarta/
