In 2015 the UK celebrated the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, which means ‘Big Charter’ or ‘set of rules’, was a document signed by King John. At that time in England, the King had a lot of power, but he was very unfair. He made people pay a lot of taxes, even when they didn’t have any money. He took land from people and stole the food that they had grown.
freedom and equality
The barons of England were very angry and they wanted things to change. So they went to London and took control of the city until King John agreed to meet with them. They made him sign a document with new rules about what the King could and couldn’t do. It was the first document that clearly explained the idea that all men are equal. For the first time, ordinary people had freedom and could disagree with the king. Also, it would be ordinary people, not the king, who decided when someone had broken the law.
INFLUENCE TODAY
Many people think that the Magna Carta was the first time a country recognised human rights. Some of its rules still exist in the UK. Eight hundred years later, these rules still protect us so that everyone can live freely.
against an abusive king
John, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine and Count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants and to all his officials and loyal subjects, greeting.
Giovanni, per grazia di Dio re d’Inghilterra, signore d’Irlanda, duca di Normandia ed Aquitania, conte d’Angiò, saluta gli arcivescovi, i vescovi, gli abati, i conti, i baroni, i giudici, le guardie forestali, gli sceriffi, gli intendenti, i servi e tutti i suoi balivi e leali sudditi.
So begins (in English translation) the text of the Magna Carta, as agreed upon by King John and the barons of England on 15 June 1215.
Although experts often talk about the sixty-three clauses of the Magna Carta, this is a modern numbering system that was introduced in 1759; the original charter formed one long text without breaks. One of its most important ‘clauses’ dealt with the justice system of the time. King John regularly abused his power in order to suppress his opponents and to extort money from the barons. Guaranteeing a justice system that put a stop to such abuses was one of the main themes addressed in the Magna Carta:
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.
Nessun uomo libero sarà arrestato, imprigionato, multato, messo fuori legge, esiliato o molestato in alcun modo, né noi useremo la forza nei suoi confronti o demanderemo di farlo ad altre persone, se non per giudizio legale dei suoi pari e per la legge del regno.