Magna Carta?

Question

What significant events did the Magna Carta bring? And how did those events contribute to the development of human rights in Canada?

Answer 1

~You need to do some reading on this one. The Magna Carte is NOT a single document. It is a series of several. Sections of the 1215 edition are verbatim repetitions of Henry I Charter of Liberties from 1100. Most people are unknowingly referring to the 1225 version as confirmed by Edward I in 1297 when they think they are speaking of the Runnymeade charter.

If you have not read the document, click onto the appropriate site and do so. Reading it, coupled with an elementary knowledge of the workings of common and constitutional law, will answer your question quite nicely. And, in reading it, you may find that the actual charter had very little to do with individual rights and liberties. Perhaps that is why most provisions have been repealed since the early 1800's. It was a very good deal for the Baron's and Earl's and the city of London, though, and some of the rights accorded them have been passed on to the hoi poloi since in various British, Canadian and US legislation and/or by constitutional mandate.

I do think the fact that making dyed cloth a standard width of two ells between the selvedges has had more impact on the advancement of mankind than the invention movable type, and standardizing the measures of wine throughout the realm did more for civil rights than Martin Luther King ever dreamed of.

Removing Gerard de Athee's kinsmen from office has pretty much proven itself to be of no account over the centuries, but it was nice that Llywelyn's son and the Welsh hostages got to go home.

On the other hand, de-foresting the King's forests, sending foreign knights home and deferring interest on the loan from a Jew to a deceased creditor until the creditor's heir reaches majority really didn't do much for Canadian human rights.

As a contract, it is doubtful that Magna Carte would be enforceable, given the circumstances under which John "agreed" to sign it.

Answer 2

The Magna Carta is the basis for most human rights law in all English speaking nations. It was the first time in history that it was established that monarchs are not all powerful, and that governments have certain responsibilities to those they govern.

Canada, as a former British colony, based most of its legal system on British law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta