The Magna Carta
In 1215 at Runnymede by the River Thames, a group of barons forced King John to sign a document which limited his powers and protected their privileges. Their first priority was self-interest, but clauses benefitting others were also introduced. For example:
Clause 29.
NO Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise destroyed; nor will We not pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the land. We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right.
(Translation into modern English:
No free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or dispossessed or outlawed or harmed in any way except by the lawful judgement of his equals under the law of the land. Justice will not be sold to any man nor will it be refused or delayed.)
This meant that the king was also subject to the country’s laws and could not arbitrarily punish any person.
King John and the kings which followed him did not always allow their power to be limited by the charter which was later called the Magna Carta. King John had the Pope annul the original document almost immediately. However, it was an important start to the historical development of a parliamentary system and to constitutional law in the English-speaking world.
Read more: Creation of the Magna Carta