Law and Rights
The UK Human Rights blog has drawn attention to a new book - "Magna Carta and its progeny" - Hart Publishing, October 2014 - details here
The authors are Anthony Arlidge QC and the former Lord Chief Justice - Lord Judge.
Magna Carta was the subject of my blogpost on 17th June - Magna Carta - is she still alive?
The real historical importance of Magna Carta lies in the fact that later generations saw embedded in the Charter the important ideas that those who govern must abide by the law and also that the governed would have access to justice. There is no doubt that the document came to be venerated and it has had a wide ranging influence through the common law world and perhaps beyond. Indeed, its influence has been far greater than the actual legal merit of the charter deserved. After all, the document was essentially concerned with the feudal rights of some of the wealthiest people of the day.
The need for access to justice is as important as ever and, in today's society with highly complex law, legal representation should be a basic right. The government will wish to capitalise on 2015 being the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta BUT it cannot and must not be forgotten that the government has minimised legal aid and, as a consequence, access to justice for the majority of the population. For the very rich, the legal system continues to offer a "Rolls Royce" service as discussed here in this excellent post on the Steve Cornforth blog.
The Independent - Magna Carta: Contemporary account of the signing of historic document discovered
Addendum 15th June 2015:
For a more recent speech on Magna Carta see Lord Sumption's address to the British Library - Magna Carta then and now - 9th March 2015
- The Jury
We know that King John put his seal to a document at Runnymede in 1215. The document was the Articles of the Barons and eventually it came to be known as Magna Carta (the Great Charter). There were various versions and what remains of the...
- It's No Good ...!
A stench of Ministerial hypocrisy pervaded central London this week. The Global Law Summit was a "stellar" event attended by legal notables from around the world. The Secretary of State for Justice spoke of the importance of the rule of law and...
- Something Is Rotten In The State .... !
Head of Legal Blog - Post by John Cooper QC - Global Law Summit - By going there we are tacitly accepting what Grayling is doing The Global Law Summit 2015 is heading for London. The importance of London as a centre of legal excellence cannot...
- A Written Constitution For The United Kingdom? Have Your Say ...
Writing in the Law Society Gazette 21st July 2014, Joshua Rozenberg takes a look at a report by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee of the House of Commons. This is a lengthy report of 423 pages - A New Magna Carta? Second Report of...
- Magna Carta - Is She Still Alive?
City of London copy of Magna CartaUpdated 18th June with additional links Magna Carta is among the most famous documents in the world. It was on 15th June 1215, at Runnymede near Windsor, that King John reluctantly acceded to certain demands made...
Law and Rights
Magna Carta
The UK Human Rights blog has drawn attention to a new book - "Magna Carta and its progeny" - Hart Publishing, October 2014 - details here
The authors are Anthony Arlidge QC and the former Lord Chief Justice - Lord Judge.
Magna Carta was the subject of my blogpost on 17th June - Magna Carta - is she still alive?
The real historical importance of Magna Carta lies in the fact that later generations saw embedded in the Charter the important ideas that those who govern must abide by the law and also that the governed would have access to justice. There is no doubt that the document came to be venerated and it has had a wide ranging influence through the common law world and perhaps beyond. Indeed, its influence has been far greater than the actual legal merit of the charter deserved. After all, the document was essentially concerned with the feudal rights of some of the wealthiest people of the day.
The need for access to justice is as important as ever and, in today's society with highly complex law, legal representation should be a basic right. The government will wish to capitalise on 2015 being the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta BUT it cannot and must not be forgotten that the government has minimised legal aid and, as a consequence, access to justice for the majority of the population. For the very rich, the legal system continues to offer a "Rolls Royce" service as discussed here in this excellent post on the Steve Cornforth blog.
The Independent - Magna Carta: Contemporary account of the signing of historic document discovered
Addendum 15th June 2015:
For a more recent speech on Magna Carta see Lord Sumption's address to the British Library - Magna Carta then and now - 9th March 2015
- The Jury
We know that King John put his seal to a document at Runnymede in 1215. The document was the Articles of the Barons and eventually it came to be known as Magna Carta (the Great Charter). There were various versions and what remains of the...
- It's No Good ...!
A stench of Ministerial hypocrisy pervaded central London this week. The Global Law Summit was a "stellar" event attended by legal notables from around the world. The Secretary of State for Justice spoke of the importance of the rule of law and...
- Something Is Rotten In The State .... !
Head of Legal Blog - Post by John Cooper QC - Global Law Summit - By going there we are tacitly accepting what Grayling is doing The Global Law Summit 2015 is heading for London. The importance of London as a centre of legal excellence cannot...
- A Written Constitution For The United Kingdom? Have Your Say ...
Writing in the Law Society Gazette 21st July 2014, Joshua Rozenberg takes a look at a report by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee of the House of Commons. This is a lengthy report of 423 pages - A New Magna Carta? Second Report of...
- Magna Carta - Is She Still Alive?
City of London copy of Magna CartaUpdated 18th June with additional links Magna Carta is among the most famous documents in the world. It was on 15th June 1215, at Runnymede near Windsor, that King John reluctantly acceded to certain demands made...