Habeas Corpus Act
England's Habeas Corpus Act established the right not to be imprisoned without trial
May 27, 1679
Forcing the King to Follow the Law
In June 1215, a group of rebellious English barons forced King John to sign a document at Runnymede meadow near the Thames River. The Magna Carta, meaning "Great Charter," established for the first time that even the king was subject to the rule of law. It guaranteed that free men could not be imprisoned, exiled, or harmed except by lawful judgment of their peers or by the law of the land. While most of its clauses dealt with medieval feudal concerns, two in particular would echo through centuries of legal history.
The Birth of Habeas Corpus
The principle of habeas corpus — Latin for "you shall have the body" — grew from the Magna Carta's protections. It holds that no person can be held in prison without being brought before a court to justify that imprisonment. The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 formally enshrined this right in English law. It became one of the most important protections against arbitrary government power. Habeas corpus was later adopted into American law, the Bill of Rights, and legal systems around the world. Even today, habeas corpus petitions are the main legal tool for challenging wrongful imprisonment.
A Foundation for Modern Rights
The Magna Carta was reissued, revised, and reaffirmed dozens of times after 1215. Over centuries, it was transformed from a feudal document into a symbol of constitutional government and individual rights. The American Founders explicitly referenced it when drafting the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, carries its spirit into international law. Eight centuries after King John pressed his seal into wax, the Magna Carta's core idea — that law limits power — remains the foundation of free societies. Use the date calculator to measure its remarkable age.