Magna Carta, meaning ‘The Great Charter’ is one of the most famous documents in the world. It is a royal charter of rights issued by King John of England (r. 1199–1216)at Runnymede as a practical solution to the political crisis he faced in 1215,it established for the first time the principle that everybody was subject to the law and the king didn’t make an exception.

The idea of protection of personal liberties has influenced not only England, but also the formation of the American Constitution in 1787. It is held in great respect by legal communities, even though the original document had concerned the medieval relationship between the monarch and the barons, rather than the rights of ordinary people.

The influence of Magna Carta can also be seen in the struggle of human rights over the centuries and citations from it are still to be found in law courts.