Magna Carta

The Magna Carta (Latin: great charter) was the first document in British history to place legal limits on the powers of the King.

In 1215, the nobles of England, chafing under King John's excessive taxation and arbitrary justice, would only renew their oaths of fealty if John agreed to their demands. John was forced to agree, and all parties signed the Magna Carta in June 1215. It provided, among other things, that a free man could not be imprisoned or have his property seized without due process, and that he was entitled to a quick trial before his peers.

As an important document in the history of jurisprudence, and its signing a pivotal moment in human history, the Master sought to prevent its signing, thus altering the course of history, but was prevented from doing so by the Doctor. (DW: The King's Demons)


 * According to some views, the Magna Carta actually achieved very little in the 13th century and its importance was greatly exaggerated by later historians.