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Medieval and Early Modern Constitutional Charters

Charters and instruments, mostly English, that first stated a ruler's power as limited by law or agreement, read today as constitutional-law ancestors rather than as codes in the continental sense. Belongs here: Magna Carta, the Constitution of Medina as an early charter binding a community's factions under one law, the Petition of Right of 1628, the Bill of Rights of 1689, and the Acts of Union 1707. Does not belong here: a fully codified national constitution from the eighteenth century or later, grouped under national constitutions instead.

Facts
Comparison
Landmark Formation Year
1215 1
Defining Characteristic
Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights sealed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. 1
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Sources
1. Magna Carta (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Magna Carta, lead section, sealing sentence
    Magna Carta, sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights sealed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.
  • Magna Carta, lead section, date sentence
    Magna Carta, sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights sealed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.
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