Magna Carta binds the king

Rebel English barons forced King John to seal a charter conceding that the crown is subject to law.

Why it matters

Most clauses were soon annulled, yet the principle stuck: even sovereign power operates under written rules. Clause 39's due-process guarantee echoes through every later constitutional document.

Threads

This event sits on Governance.

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Sources

• Encyclopædia Britannica — Magna Carta