Magna Carta 1215

Magna Carta Libertatum (Medieval Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties"), commonly called
Magna Carta, is a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England on 15 June 1215. First drafted by
the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons,
it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access
to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council
of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments, and the charter was annulled by Pope
Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War.

Petition of Right 1628

The Petition of Right sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing.
Passed on 7 June 1628, the Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting
of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and the use of martial law.

Bill of Rights 1689

The Bill of Rights 1689 sets out certain basic civil rights and clarifies who would be next to inherit the
Crown. It sets out certain rights of individuals including the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment
and reestablished the right of Protestants to have arms for their defence within the rule of law. It also
includes no right of taxation without Parliament’s agreement.

Act of Settlement 1701

The Act of Settlement was passed in 1701 to settle the succession to the English and Irish crowns on
Protestants only.

Acts of Union 1706 and 1707

They put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union. By the two Acts, the Kingdom of England and the
Kingdom of Scotland—which at the time were separate states with separate legislatures, but with the
same monarch—were, in the words of the Treaty, "United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great
Britain".

Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949

The Parliament Act 1911) asserted the supremacy of the House of Commons by limiting the legislation-
blocking powers of the House of Lords (the suspensory veto). Provided the provisions of the Act are met,
legislation can be passed without the approval of the House of Lords. Additionally, the 1911 Act
amended the Septennial Act 1716 to reduce the maximum life of a Parliament from seven years to five
years. The Parliament Act 1911 was amended by the Parliament Act 1949 which further limited the
power of the Lords by reducing the time that they could delay bills, from two years to one.
European Communities Act 1972

The Act provided for the incorporation into UK law of the whole of European Community law and its
acquis communautaire: its Treaties, Regulations and Directives, together with judgments of the
European Court of Justice.

Human Rights Act 1998

Its aim was to incorporate into UK law the rights contained in the European Convention on Human
Rights. The Act makes a remedy for breach of a Convention right available in UK courts, without the
need to go to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg.

Constitutional Reform Act 2005

It provides for a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the previous appellate jurisdiction of
the Law Lords as well as some powers of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and removed the
functions of Speaker of the House of Lords and Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales from the
office of Lord Chancellor.