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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Image SourceMagna Carta was the first document that attempted to force onto an English King by a group of the barons in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. In practice, Magna Carta in the medieval period did not in general limit the power of kings, but by the time of the English Civil War it had become an important symbol for those who wished to show that the King was bound by the law. -
Jan 1, 1376
Impeachment
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Parliament devised the English instrument of impeachment, which held the King's ministers to be responsible for his actions in order to limit the power of the King. Hence the King's servants could be executed for implementing unpopular policies, which eventually weakened the King's authority.- The date was when the impeachment firstly enacted by the parliament.
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Jul 24, 1567
Divine Right
Image Source In the 17th century, the Stuart dynasty's attempts to import the doctrine of "Divine Right" from Scotland, starting from under the reign of James I in 24 July 1567. This had caused the English people to question the royal authority and revive earlier safeguards against executive power. -
petition of right
Image SourceThe House of Commons forced Charles I to sign the Petition of Right that affirmed that the King should go through Parliament to enact new laws, or raised taxes. After signing the Petition of Right, Charles I responded by avoiding the recall of a parliament for the next decade and instead relied on other measures to raise funds such as the unpopular Ship money. This sent a message to future monarchs of England that they did not have absolute power anymore. -
Habeas Corpus Act of 1679
Image sourceDuring the reign of Charles II, Parliament passed the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which said that any prisoner taken by the King would be given a trial. This prevented the King from simply sending his opponents to jail, so even if there were people who called for less authority for king, the king could not send them in to jail directly, -
Glorious Revolution
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When James II took the throne many people did not appreciate it when he flaunted his Catholicism. Therefore Parliament asked William of Orange to overthrow the king. William came from the Netherlands and overthrew James II with little cost. This nearly peaceful transfer of power, between James II and the future dual monarchy of William III and Mary II, is known as the Glorious Revolution. And because the revolution was lead by parliament, this event had raised their authority. -
English Bill of Rights in 1689
Image SourceWhen William and Mary had gained control of the throne, they completely supported the constitutional monarchy over parliament. Therefore they signed the English Bill of Rights of 1689 together, which severely limited the power of the king, and gave more freedom to their citizens and the parliament
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