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Rulings in the charter from 1215 still resonate
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Celebrations leading up to the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015 are to get under way later.
Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger and Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke are due to address a public launch at a memorial site in Runnymede, Surrey, where King John sealed the document in 1215.
Exhibitions of the charter of rights are planned in the UK and Commonwealth.
The Magna Carta Trust is also campaigning for a national holiday and a commemorative stamp and coin.
It is aiming to make people more aware of the legal, political and constitutional importance of the document, which has World Heritage status.
The original set of rulings, stemming from a row between King John and English barons, still has some resonance in modern-day English law - it helped clarify the right of trial by jury, for example.
The document also has relevance further afield. It was much studied in the US prior to that nation's fight for independence from Britain.
What is the Magna Carta?The Magna Carta - meaning Great Charter - is not just one document. It is a number of them, from different dates, all referred to under the same collective namePublication has its origins in a dispute between King John and English barons, and it went some way towards limiting the king's authorityThe first document was sealed - not signed - in 1215 by King John at Runnymede. The final one was issued in 130017 versions survive from the 13th CenturyThe charter guaranteed basic freedoms and property rights to "free men"The Magna Carta was re-negotiated on four occasions within the first decade of its existence, as both the king and England's earls, bishops and barons all attempted to re-define its terms
As part of the celebrations, the trust is petitioning the government for a public holiday on 15 June 2015, and asking the Royal Mint to issue a commemorative coin in the same year.
Talks are also under way for a commemorative stamp.
An exhibition is expected to be held at the British Library in London, with smaller events planned for schools and libraries across the UK.
Some 160 British Council offices around the world are also considering producing displays.
Lord Neuberger, chairman of the Magna Carta Trust, said the charter's importance should not be understated.
"Enshrining such noble concepts as freedom under law, democracy and the importance of limited government, it was a pre-cursor to many of the freedoms and liberties that humanity rightly expects their governments to respect today," he said.
The Runnymede event at the site where barons gathered to petition King John for the first Great Charter, is expected to be attended by representatives from five charter towns - Runnymede, Canterbury, City of London, St Albans and Bury St Edmunds.
People are also expected from Lincoln and Salisbury, the cathedrals of which each house an original copy of the Magna Carta.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Rulings in the charter from 1215 still resonate Related stories
Celebrations leading up to the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015 are to get under way later.
Master of the Rolls Lord Neuberger and Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke are due to address a public launch at a memorial site in Runnymede, Surrey, where King John sealed the document in 1215.
Exhibitions of the charter of rights are planned in the UK and Commonwealth.
The Magna Carta Trust is also campaigning for a national holiday and a commemorative stamp and coin.
It is aiming to make people more aware of the legal, political and constitutional importance of the document, which has World Heritage status.
The original set of rulings, stemming from a row between King John and English barons, still has some resonance in modern-day English law - it helped clarify the right of trial by jury, for example.
The document also has relevance further afield. It was much studied in the US prior to that nation's fight for independence from Britain.
What is the Magna Carta?The Magna Carta - meaning Great Charter - is not just one document. It is a number of them, from different dates, all referred to under the same collective namePublication has its origins in a dispute between King John and English barons, and it went some way towards limiting the king's authorityThe first document was sealed - not signed - in 1215 by King John at Runnymede. The final one was issued in 130017 versions survive from the 13th CenturyThe charter guaranteed basic freedoms and property rights to "free men"The Magna Carta was re-negotiated on four occasions within the first decade of its existence, as both the king and England's earls, bishops and barons all attempted to re-define its terms
As part of the celebrations, the trust is petitioning the government for a public holiday on 15 June 2015, and asking the Royal Mint to issue a commemorative coin in the same year.
Talks are also under way for a commemorative stamp.
An exhibition is expected to be held at the British Library in London, with smaller events planned for schools and libraries across the UK.
Some 160 British Council offices around the world are also considering producing displays.
Lord Neuberger, chairman of the Magna Carta Trust, said the charter's importance should not be understated.
"Enshrining such noble concepts as freedom under law, democracy and the importance of limited government, it was a pre-cursor to many of the freedoms and liberties that humanity rightly expects their governments to respect today," he said.
The Runnymede event at the site where barons gathered to petition King John for the first Great Charter, is expected to be attended by representatives from five charter towns - Runnymede, Canterbury, City of London, St Albans and Bury St Edmunds.
People are also expected from Lincoln and Salisbury, the cathedrals of which each house an original copy of the Magna Carta.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.