Magna Carta Uncovered

by Anthony Arlidge, Igor Judge

Overview

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the grant at Runnymede of Magna Carta.The story of how Magna Carta came into being ,and has been interpreted since, and its impact on individual rights and constitutional developments has more twists and turbans than any work of historical fiction.
The authors bring their wide legal experience and forensic skills to uncover the original meaning of the liberties enshrined in Magna Carta, and to trace their development in later centuries up to the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America. By providing that the powers of the King were not unlimited, the Charter was groundbreaking, yet it was also a conservative document, following the form of Anglo-Saxon charters and seeking to returban government to the ways of the Norman kings.
This book tells the enthralling, ultimately inspirational, story of Magna Carta in a concise and readable fashion and will captivate laymen and lawyers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849465564
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/30/2014
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Anthony Arlidge has been a Queen's Counsel for over 30 years. In 1990 he was called upon during a case to argue the meaning of clause 40 of Magna Carta.

Igor Judge was a judge for 25 years and retired as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales in 2013.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements v

The Authors ix

Timeline xi

Introduction 1

1 Who Made Magna Carta? 5

2 William Marshal 17

3 What Was Magna Carta? 21

4 Religion 27

5 Rebellion 35

6 Freemen 45

7 Law and Order 51

8 Trial by Peers - Clauses 39 and 40 59

9 Taxes 67

10 The King Under the Law 73

11 London and Other Cities 79

12 Commerce 87

13 Robin Hood and the Royal Forests 89

14 Wales and Scotland 95

15 The Charter Restored 99

16 Towards Democracy 105

17 Due Process 113

18 The Charter Survives 115

19 The Rule of Law 121

20 'Reason of State' 129

21 Ship Money 137

22 Independence of the Jury and the Right to Silence 113

23 Towards an Independent Judiciary 147

24 The Bill of Rights 153

25 Rebellion in America 155

Epilogue 163

Appendix A Sources 169

Appendix B The Rebel Barons 173

Appendix C Translation of Magna Carta 1215 185

Appendix D Petition of Right 1628 193

Appendix E Bill of Rights 1689 197

Appendix F Bill of Rights 1789 (United States) 203

Bibliography 207

Index 213

Editorial Reviews

Arlidge and Judge…give [a] fascinating [account] of the afterlife of the Great Charter…[the book is] magnificently illustrated” —London Review of Books

“Magna Carta Uncovered explains a great deal about the development of justice, the legal profession, and English history, and is quite simply, a very interesting book that lawyers and lay persons will find enjoyable.” —Commonwealth Judicial Jourbanal

“...the prose is a joy in its own right...Those who want to know why this anniversary is so important need read no further.” —Counsel Magazine

“The distinguishing feature of Arlidge and Judge's work is that it is a historical one carried out by lawyers and presented to a legal audience…The learning and research exhibited in this book is wide… It is the duty of every generation of lawyers to know the values which Magna Carta represents, to appeal to them and, in so doing, to aspire to what is best in the tradition it has come to symbolise. It is for reminding us of that duty that Arlidge and Judge deserve our gratitude and Magna Carta Uncovered deserves to be widely read and admired.” —European Human Rights Law Review

“Arlidge and Judge's book is a valuable contribution to the study of the context and anture of the charter itself...it has particular value in the wealth of legal expertise combined with the historial background of the authors.” —English, 2015, vol64

“What makes this book so successful is how effectively the discussion of the Charter is set in context...Even those who think they know about Magna Carta are likely to be richly rewarded by reading this work.” —The Middle Templar

“There is no time to be bored on any particular subject ...the 170 pages of this book are a fitting tribute to [the Magna Carta] in all respects.” —Statute Law Review

“This book is a good introduction to Magna Carta. This is not a book designed specifically for scholars of the period, but a more general text for wider public consumption- something the author have made no attempt to hide. Magna Carta Uncovered (...) approaches the subject from a slightly different angle, which will distinguish it from the other texts available.” —Parliamentary History

From the Publisher