It's Magna Carta Day.....

[pinto]

Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally "Great Paper"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. It required the King to renounce certain rights, respect certain legal procedures and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects, whether free or fettered — most notably the writ of habeas corpus, allowing appeal against unlawful imprisonment.

<snip>

For modern times, the most enduring legacy of Magna Carta is considered the right of habeas corpus. This right arises from what are now known as clauses 36, 38, 39, and 40 of the 1215 Magna Carta.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

:thumbsup:

[Sabriel]

1. A quaint idea from simpler times

Ironic that the country of origin just voted to do away with it.

[Captain Hilts]

2. I didn't know that! Yesterday the US flag flew, today, my British flag! nt

[rurallib]

3. Who would have thought it would last 800 years?

will it last 800 more?

[KoKo]

4. K&R! Thanks!

[Bucky]

5. Why do you hate Plantaginist England?

Anyway, the Magna Carta was an elitist document. It said only nobles have a right to confront their accusers and challenge the charges against them. And King John didn't have to fight against al-Qaeda. So there, I've proved your argument entirely wrong with flawless Freeper logic. Yay, me!

[NashVegas]

6. A Document By, For, and Of, Rich Barons

I'm not defending the Divine Right of Kings or anything here, but the Magna Carta came about because John was pissing off all the barons. Had he been a more skilled at dealing with others who could raise their own armies (locking the De Braoses in a dungeon probably wasn't a good idea), it probably wouldn't have come to this.

[LeftishBrit]

8. In '1066 and All That'...

there is a good spoof of the Magna Carta, where its provisions are mostly made to end with 'except the Common People'!

Pretty accurate, I fear. Still, it was a step in the right direction!

[NashVegas]

9. Lol

I need to see that.

[LeftishBrit]

7. And the UK have just celebrated...

with a further increase in the length of time for which 'terrorism suspects' can be detained without charge, from 28 to 42 days.