Today marks the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta, and whilst most of its provisions no longer apply or have been superseeded by other laws. It's influence is still with us today With perhaps this one being the one we would now see as the right to trial by jury and the right to a speedy trial. XXIX. NO Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise destroyed; nor will We not pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land . We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33126723
When I told Husband this, he was a bit blasé. "We've seen it. Twice." Yeah, but there's more meaning to it.
For the first time, the Magna Carta will be touring Canada. Dates for the tour in Ottawa/Gatineau, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton can be seen here: http://www.magnacartacanada.ca/
Sorry I'm late to this. IMO, it's kinda overrated. Leaving aside it being disavowed almost immediately, it really only affected a handful of barons. Lawful judgment of his peers, for example, refers to the right of a Lord to be tried in the House of Lords. It doesn't mean Trial by Jury. That being said, it's influence as a symbol was hugely important, so it deserves credit for what people think it means.
It helped establish the concept of due process and in this day and age of rushing to judgement based on images and clips from social media and weak journalists it is more meaningful now than it has ever been.
We had a magna carta for nobles to fight a king. A constitution to fight all royalty in favor of land-owners. Time for Labor to get one of its own