“Magna Carta, 1297: Widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy.
Widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy.
On display in the new David M. Rubenstein Gallery.
Presented courtesy of David M. Rubenstein.

– “Enduring Principles of Liberty”
“Magna Carta was written by a group of 13th-century barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. It is concerned with many practical matters and specific grievances relevant to the feudal system under which they lived. The interests of the common man were hardly apparent in the minds of the men who brokered the agreement. But there are two principles expressed in Magna Carta that resonate to this day:

“No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”

“To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice.”

“On June 15, 1215, in a field at Runnymede, King John affixed his seal to Magna Carta. Confronted by 40 rebellious barons, he consented to their demands in order to avert civil war. Just 10 weeks later, Pope Innocent III nullified the agreement, and England plunged into internal war.

Although Magna Carta failed to resolve the conflict between King John and his barons, it was reissued several times after his death. On display at the National Archives, courtesy of David M. Rubenstein, is one of four surviving originals of the 1297 Magna Carta. This version was entered into the official Statute Rolls of England.”
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– “England celebrates 800th anniversary of Magna Carta”
“The UK is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta”
From The Star, Toronto.
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