Page 82 - Grasp English B1+ (Student Book)

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History Magna Carta

A. Discuss with a partner.

1. What is a good law in your country?
2. Who decides the laws?
3. Are there any laws you think should be changed?

This text, created in 1215, is considered to be the most
famous document in British history and the inspiration for
other important legal texts, such as the US Constitution
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The document was written and signed by King John,
along with his barons and a number of French and
Scottish allies. It originally contained sixty-three laws
to protect the people of the kingdom, although only
three of these remain laws today.

The main points of the text are the following:
• No person is above the law, even the reigning
monarch.
• All people have the right to a fair trial.
• Any person paying taxes should receive
representation for their interests.

The Magna Carta was originally written to take
some power away from King John, who at that time
had control over all laws and decisions made in the
country. He was a selfish king and took money from
all the population, without providing enough for them legal - relating to law
in return. However, he had recently lost a great battle
barons - rich people who owned lands
against the French and, with the fear of civil war, his
allies - political friends
advisors put pressure on him to make some political
changes. reigning monarch - the king or queen in power
at the time
This wasn’t the first time such a document had been
written. In the past, other documents had been trial - the process of going to court after a crime
created to protect the rights of the population. It was, taxes - money the authorities take from people
however, the first time the king followed it, as previous civil war - a war between two groups of people
kings had signed but then ignored the laws created. within the same country

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