This book provides an original and multidisciplinary approach on Magna Carta (1215) as a joint heritage, a source of inspiration both for long established democracies and countries which only recently experienced the Rule of Law. Far from simply extolling the virtues associated with Magna Carta, it explores the gaps of the Great Charter. Instead of dealing separately with the historians’ and the lawyers’ outlooks as two conflicting perspectives, it juxtaposes the views of medievalist and contemporary historians with those of practicing lawyers and law academics, offering readers a thorough yet accessible historic and legal analysis of the charter and its meaning for the citizens of twenty-first century democracies. At a time of the erosion of civil liberties and fundamental rights, The Rights and Aspirations of the Magna Carta provides a rare insight into the 1215 medieval charter and its legacy.

Magna Carta (1215) is a peace treaty drafted by Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton in coordination with the English barons. Intended as an appeal to King John of England on behalf of the barons, Magna Carta was agreed to on June 15, 1215. Although it was not initially respected, leading to the First Barons’ War, Magna Carta was later revised and reissued as part of the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217, establishing peace between King Henry III and the rebel barons. Dissatisfied with the rule of King John, rebel barons gathered in Northampton in May of 1215 to renounce their feudal ties to the crown. Unwilling to accept arbitration with the Pope on behalf of the King, the barons forced John to meet with them at Runnymede on June 10, 1215. Over the next ten days, and under the direction of Stephen Langton, they turned their demands into a charter now known as Magna Carta. Agreed to by King John on June 15, the Magna Carta proposed major political reforms, including the protection of the rights of the church, protection from unjust imprisonment, and limits on feudal payments and other forms of taxation due to the King. Although Magna Carta focuses on the rights of barons, it also articulates the rights of serfs and other free men. Recognized as a foundational document on the concept of liberty, Magna Carta is widely respected in Britain and the United States, and served as a major influence on the creation of the United States Constitution. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Magna Carta is a classic of English political history reimagined for modern readers.

This book begins with a detailed commentary and explanation of the political and social climate that dictated the necessity of the Magna Carta. The initial report is followed by the original Latin text, a translation and further comments on the sections of the text. It is arguably the most thorough attempt to explain and provide insight into the most crucial document in British history.

The constitutional foundation of English (and perhaps world) freedoms