Magna-Carta on The Lord's Freeman

Magna Carta and the Foundations of English Common Law

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What Is Common Law?

English common law is not a set of rules written by parliament. It is a body of legal principles developed over centuries through judicial decisions, local custom, and the inherited rights of the English people. Its authority does not derive from statute — it predates statute. Common law is the law of the land, recognised rather than created by the courts.

This distinction is fundamental. Statute law is made by parliament and can be repealed by parliament. Common law, by contrast, is held to be the ancient and inherent right of the people. It was not granted by any government — it was acknowledged by government as already existing.

A Timeline of British Constitutional Documents

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

The British constitution is not a single document. It is a tapestry woven over eight centuries from charters, statutes, judicial decisions, and constitutional conventions. Each document in this timeline represents a moment when the rights of the people were asserted, recognised, or defended against the encroachment of arbitrary power.

What follows is not exhaustive — it is a working overview of the most significant constitutional instruments in the English and British tradition.

What Is Article 61 of Magna Carta?

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Text

Article 61 of the original Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede on 15 June 1215, is commonly known as the “security clause.” It is the enforcement mechanism of the Charter — the provision that gives the rest of the document its teeth.

In the original Latin, it establishes a committee of twenty-five barons empowered to oversee the Crown’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 “distrain and distress” the Crown “in every way possible” — by seizing castles, lands, and possessions — until the wrong is corrected.