Magna Carta and Parliament

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, the world-famous document issued by King John of England at Runnymede on 15 June 1215. It has widely been seen as one of the most significant documents in English constitutional history, and the history of freedom and democracy across the world.

'Magna Carta' literally means 'Great Charter', a name that derives not so much from its historical significance as from its physical size in relation to its sister document, the Charter of the Forest, issued alongside Magna Carta in 1225 and which dealt with other, related matters.

Both Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest sought to enshrine in writing, the rights and liberties of subjects of the English king.

Christopher Tilley's work in this area seeks to understand the thirteenth-century context in which this document came about. He has investigated the motivations of individuals and groups at the time and explored the social, economic and political circumstances that gave rise to the Great Charter.