- Magna Carta
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Mag·na Car·ta or Mag·na Char·ta /'mag-nə-'kär-tə/ n [Medieval Latin, literally, great charter]: a charter of liberties signed under duress by King John of England in 1215 that influenced the development of several modern legal and constitutional principles (as due process)
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- Magna Carta
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n.(Latin) Great Charter; an agreement signed by King John in England in 1215, guaranteeing political rights and liberty to his nobles and forming the foundation of English rights and privileges.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- Magna Carta
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the 'Great Charter' of liberties, signed by King John at Runymede, 15 June 1215. One of the foundations of the notion of the rule of law. The barons made it clear that the king operated under legal constraints. Two clauses, 39 and 40, were developed to become a basis of the liberty of the subject to the present: 'No freeman shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possession, or outlawed or exiled or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land' (Clause 39)'To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice' (Clause 40).
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- Magna Carta
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An historical document from England that helped establish common law and statutes — in other words, it is a founding document of the law as we know it today. When King John reluctantly signed it in 1215, it was essentially a document for the nobility; however it became the basis of modern individual rights.Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- Magna Carta
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n.Latin for "Great Charter," it was a document delineating a series of laws establishing the rights of English barons and major landowners and limiting the absolute authority of the King of England. It became the basis for the rights of English citizens. It was signed reluctantly by King John on June 15, 1215, at Runnymede, at a table set up in a field under a canopy surrounded by the armed gentry. The Magna Carta was confirmed by John's son, Henry III, and in turn by Henry's son, Edward I. As John Cowell would write four centuries later: "although this charter consists of not above thirty seven Charters or Lawes yet it is of such extent, as all the Law wee have, is thought in some form to depend on it." Essentially a document for the nobility, it became the basis of individual rights as a part of the English Constitution, which is generally more custom than written documents. It is also spelled Magna Charta.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
