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 turns 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 return 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:	9781782255918
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/30/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Anthony Arlidge was a KC for over thirty-five years, appearing in many high-profile cases. He submitted written amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States and the Santa Monica Court of Appeals.

Lord Judge was first appointed a Judge of the High Court in 1988 and was Lord Chief Justice and Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales from 2008 until 2013.

Table of Contents

1. Who Made Magna Carta?
2. William Marshal
3. What Was Magna Carta?
4. Religion
5. Rebellion
6. Freemen
7. Law and Order
8. Trial by Peers – Clauses 39 and 40
9. Taxes
10. The King Under the Law
11. London and Other Cities
12. Commerce
13. Robin Hood and the Royal Forests
14. Wales and Scotland
15. The Charter Restored
16. Towards Democracy
17. Due Process
18. The Charter Survives
19. The Rule of Law
20. 'Reason of State'
21. Ship Money
22. Independence of the Jury and the Right to Silence
23. Towards an Independent Judiciary
24. The Bill of Rights
25. Rebellion in America

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