The
Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties"), commonly simplified as Magna Carta, is a charter of rights that King John of England agreed to in 1215. At face value the charter was an olive branch between the kind and rebellious barons that granted certain protections to the barons and the church. However the document went beyond these direct disputes and also promised protection from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and, most importantly, limitations on taxation to the Crown. As such the charter became a cornerstone of English political life and law. While the specific legal weight of the document ebbed away over time, its symbolic importance as the enshrinement of personal liberties and the rule of law only rose, not only in England, but later in other parts of the world that were influenced by its legacy.
