Magna Carta
Definition
The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is a foundational document that established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law and guaranteed rights to justice and fair trial. It laid the groundwork for modern concepts of due process and judicial fairness.
Analogy
Imagine a rulebook for a board game that applies to all players equally, ensuring no one has an unfair advantage and everyone understands how disputes are resolved; similarly, the Magna Carta served as a "rulebook" for English governance, emphasizing legal fairness for all.
Related terms
Due Process: The legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person, balancing the power of law of the land and protecting individual persons from it.
Judicial Fairness: The impartiality with which judges conduct trials and make rulings, ensuring equality before the law for all individuals.
Habeas Corpus: A legal principle that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment without trial, initially reinforced by provisions in the Magna Carta
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