A history of human rights in Britain
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The idea that human beings should have a set of basic rights and freedoms has deep roots in Britain. Here are some of the national and international milestones that have shaped the concept of human rights in Britain over the last 800 years.
1215: the Magna Carta
This English Charter acknowledged for the first time that subjects of the crown had legal rights and that laws could apply to kings and queens too. The Magna Carta was also the first step in giving us the right to a trial by a jury of our peers.
1679: Habeas Corpus Act
Another crucial step towards the right to a fair trial, this law protected and extended the right of a detained person to go before a judge to determine whether the detention was legal.
1689: English Bill of Rights
The Bill was a landmark moment in the political history of Britain because it limited the powers of the monarch and set out the rights of Parliament. It included the freedom to petition the monarch (a step towards political protest rights); the free...
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