The Main Ideas Of Magna Carta

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The Magna Carta, the great charter of English liberty, was granted by King John at Runnymede on June 15, 1215.

The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in Medieval history. It outlined many of the rights for English citizens which are still important today. The Magna Carta granted rights such as no taxation without cause and consent, freedom of the church, trial by jury, and due process of law. Not only has the Magna Carta influenced English history but many of the ideas held in the Magna Carta were also included in the American Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

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The ideas which come directly from Magna Carta are explained below :

No taxation without cause and consent: The government cannot operate if citizens don’t pay their taxes. If we don’t pay taxes then the government won’t be able to afford to rule. However, that doesn’t mean that the government gets to charge as much money in the name of tax as they want all the time. “No taxation without cause and consent” means that only our representatives people we vote to elect – can decide how much tax we have to pay. If we don’t like the decision then we have the right to vote for someone else next time. No matter what, the government is not allowed to tax us unless they have a solid reason as well as the permission of the officials that are elected by the citizens.

Freedom of the church: Freedom of the church Every citizen of the United States is free to worship any way they choose. This means that government and religion are two separate groups. The government cannot tell anyone what to believe or even to believe in anything at all. Freedom of the church means that we have the right to choose our beliefs for ourselves. That the church works separately that is not under the control or pressure of the King or other officials

Trial by Jury: If you are accused of the crime you can choose to have a jury weigh the evidence and decide if you are guilty or innocent. A jury is a group of citizens just like you who are chosen from the population. They are not professional lawyers or judges; they don’t work for the government. They are unbiased and so presumably they will make their decision based only on the facts. This helps to ensure that innocent people are not convicted of crimes they did not commit.

Due Process of Law: is designed to protect you if you are accused of a crime. Due process means that the police, lawyers, and judges are not allowed to jump to conclusions. They must collect evidence, talk to witnesses and gather information just like they would with any other crime. Even when the answer seems obvious, appearances can be deceiving. By following the due process we help to make sure that innocent people are not sent to jail.

Moreover, The other advice/orders and/or rulings/information given by King John in Magna Carta are as follows :

To all free men of our kingdom we have also granted, for us and our heirs forever, all the liberties were written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

• For a trivial offense, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offense, and for a serious offense correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. In the same way, a merchant shall be spared his merchandise, and a husbandman the implements of his husbandry, if they fall upon the mercy of a royal court. None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighborhood.

• No constable or other royal official shall take corn or other movable goods from any man without immediate payment unless the seller voluntarily offers postponement of this.

• No sheriff, royal official, or other people shall take horses or carts for transport from any free man, without his consent.

• In the future no official shall place a man on trial upon his own unsupported statement, without producing credible witnesses to the truth of it.

• 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 judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.

• We will appoint as justices, constables, sheriffs, or other officials, only men that know the law of the realm and are minded to keep it well.

• All these customs and liberties that we have granted shall be observed in our kingdom in so far as concerns our own relations with our subjects. Let all men of our kingdom, whether clergy or laymen, observe them similarly in their relations with their own men. 

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