“To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice”  On the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta, Stephen Bowen, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights, says: “For centuries, Magna Carta has stood for the idea that government power is subject to the rule of law. Today, the most fitting tribute to Magna Carta would be for the government to scrap its plans to scrap our Human Rights Act, which protects us all from the power of the state. That would truly demonstrate that the legacy of Magna Carta is not simply legend but lives on here at home.” On 15 June 1215, King John met with his rebellious Barons at Runnymede and sealed Magna Carta. A “political solution to a political problem”, this medieval document is important not for what it says, but for what it inspires and for what it symbolizes – that no government is above the law, that all people have basic freedoms and rights. Whether a medieval m…

This post was originally published on British Institute of Human Rights News .