This month marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. You might recall from school history classes that Magna Carta is a foundational document in the development of individual liberty and rule of law. King John of England, facing an epic showdown at Runnymede just outside London with the barons of his kingdom in 1215, was pressured to sign Magna Carta (also called the "Great Charter") that acknowledged limits on his power. Magna Carta provided protections against illegal imprisonment and taxation and afforded access to swift justice. It stands as the most significant early codification of individual liberty and limitations upon government.
King John was a tyrant and wronged his subjects and refused to be held accountable in his own courts.
King John was a tyrant and wronged his subjects and refused to be held accountable in his own courts.