June 15 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta (Latin for the ‘Great Charter’) signed between King john (who ruled England during the 12th century) and his nobles who had earlier rebelled against his tyrannical rule, which included the absence of any adherence to law, seizure of people’s assets and a general disregard for the safety and well-being of the people. The Charter was drafted in an effort to restore peace and order to the land.
The Magna Carta’s status as the most celebrated document in history stems from the fact that for the first time a set of rules was documented that would be binding and applicable to every individual in the kingdom, irrespective of class or influence. Historians have classified it as the first-ever constitution to have been drafted. Subsequently, the Magna Carta served as the basis for the development of legislation across the world; It is also considered the most comprehensive ‘Charter of Human Rights’.
Establishing the supremacy of law , freedom of speech , equality of rights across income groups,accountability of elected representatives to their constituents and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, 800 years on, the principles of the Magna Carta are just as relevant today .
The constitutions of the United States of America and Canada, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, borrowed heavily from the rules stipulated in the Character, particularly with regard to the inplementation of a democratic system of government. Most civil liberties-such as the right to own property, the presence of a fair criminal justice system, not to mention checks and balances On government initiativer-that are taken for granted around the world-but not necessarily in Pakistan-trace their roots to the Magna Carta.
To mark the 800th anniversary, art exhibitions, musical concerts, as well as a special series of six commemorative stamps have been issued by the Royal Mail in the UK.
By Jaker Khan