Question

The landmark English document that guaranteed due process is

Answer 1

The landmark English document that guaranteed due process is known as the Magna Carta. Signed in the year 1215 C.E., the Magna Carta was forced upon English King John by a group of wealthy English Barons, who were unhappy with John's rule and had attempted to rebel against the Crown. In order to achieve peace, the Archbishop of Canterbury drafted the Magna Carta with the purpose of protecting the rights of the Church and, more importantly, protect the Barons from false imprisonment and arbitrary detention at the King's whim. This led to the notion of ''due process'' in law; i.e., that the state is obligated to respect the rights of individuals, especially in criminal and civil matters.