https://thelordsfreeman.com/categories/article-61/Recent content in Article-61 on The Lord's FreemanHugoen-gbThu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://thelordsfreeman.com/article-61/what-is-article-61/Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://thelordsfreeman.com/article-61/what-is-article-61/<h2 id="the-text">The Text</h2> <p>Article 61 of the original Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede on 15 June 1215, is commonly known as the &ldquo;security clause.&rdquo; It is the enforcement mechanism of the Charter — the provision that gives the rest of the document its teeth.</p> <p>In the original Latin, it establishes a committee of twenty-five barons empowered to oversee the Crown&rsquo;s compliance with the Charter. If the king or his officers violate any provision, and the grievance is not remedied within forty days, the committee may &ldquo;distrain and distress&rdquo; the Crown &ldquo;in every way possible&rdquo; — by seizing castles, lands, and possessions — until the wrong is corrected.</p>