Magna Carta, a celebration of national law…
15 Jun 2020
Dear LPG
I was Googling early the other morning, something I tend to do when I can’t sleep, and I came across an interesting bit of information…
Did you know that on June 15th, 1215 (which is the closest date I can get from the internet) the Magna Carta was signed and while it has been updated quite a few times it is arguably the nearest constitutional document the we have in England?
It was drawn up by the gentry of the time to make sure that the then king, King John stopped taking advantage of his position which was allowing him to do whatever he liked to his people, and it is seen as the basis of many national constitutions around the world.
It is interesting to note that while the whole ’having rules to live by’ idea started with a royal signature a relative stone’s throw from Lewisham Borough 805 years ago, so many countries have borrowed parts of it to form their official national constitutions over the years. But national law appears not to have become fashionable until the late 18th century when America formed theirs. According to Wikipedia, only a handful of countries got around to a national constitution in the nineteenth century while the 20th has seen the movement gain a little momentum and most countries are joining the bandwagon as the 21st century continues to be.
The really ironic thing for me is that though the Magna Carta was a document designed to keep the peace all those years ago, it never seemed to have been considered a British national constitution which means that the country that started the whole thing still does not actually have one.
Just a thought….
DL, Greenwich
LPG found some information…
