A king who broke every promise was forced to sign away his own unchecked power

In 1215, English barons furious at King John's heavy taxes and arbitrary justice cornered him at Runnymede and made him seal Magna Carta, a charter limiting royal power and guaranteeing basic legal rights. John got the pope to annul it within weeks and civil war followed, but reissued versions endured, and its core principle — no punishment without lawful judgment — still underpins common law today.

— Barons of England and King John, Magna Carta — Sealed 15 June 1215, Runnymede