M agna Carta
Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally "Great Paper"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin. Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (mainly of his barons), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects. But it was not in King John’s best interests. Nor was it his original thought.
Today we also know the Magna Carta as a forerunner of American rights and liberties. People refer to it with reverence. But granting the "Great Charter" was not in the king’s best interests. Why did he agree to it? Or did he?
John was always in trouble with someone. The fourth son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane, he was ineligible to inherit land (hence his nickname "Lackland"). Because he inherited no land, he was always conniving to gain land by other means.
But when he finally became king he lost English holdings in France. For much of his reign, John was preoccupied in regaining those lost French territories. To pay for his battles, he increased taxes on the landed barons. Finally, the English barons revolted against the high taxes and captured London in May of 1215. They issued their terms of rapprochement: The monarch would be forced to sign a charter giving legal rights to the barons and creating obligations on the part of the crown.
Presented with the Magna Carta, he agreed to its terms for one purpose only: to buy time.
Main Provisions
For Great Britain, Magna Carta is Statute Number One. Of the Magna Carta’s 63 provisions, the most important categories were:
Independence of the church in England,
Freedom from undue tax burdens;
Judicial rights: the fundamental concept of habeas corpus (“you have the body”) by which no one can be imprisoned without due process of law; fines should be proportionate to the offense;
Anti-corruption and fair trade: Magna Carta guarantees that no royal officer may take any commodity such as corn, wood, or transport without payment or consent; the document proclaimed the safety and right of entry and exit of foreign merchants.
Charter was confirmed by later English kings. Its eminent place, and effect, in the modern world of law remains unquestioned.
TASK 5. Find equivalents of the following word combinations in the text:
провозгласить определенные права
уважать определенные правовые процедуры
связанный законом
королевские подданные
предвестник американских прав и свобод
не иметь права наследовать землю
быть коварным с целью завоевать земли
восстать против высоких налогов и
условия примирения
обязательства со стороны короны
налоговое бремя
изымать товары
TASK 6. Match the terms with their definitions:
Inherit |
impose a legal or contractual obligation |
Revolt |
predecessor |
Bind |
to receive (property, a right, title, etc.) by succession or under a will |
Terms |
legally or officially unable to be considered for a position or benefit |
Forerunner |
take violent action against an established government or ruler; rebel |
Ineligible |
conditions under which an action may be undertaken or agreement reached; stipulated or agreed requirements |
TASK 7. Complete the text using the words from the box:
