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The four surviving original Magna Carta copies went on display together for the first time yesterday as Britain kicked off 800th anniversary celebrations for the document with continuing global significance.
Considered the cornerstone of liberty, modern democracy, justice and the rule of law, the 1215 English charter forms the basis for legal systems around the world, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the US Constitution.
A total of 1,215 people, drawn from a ballot, have won the chance to see the unification at the British Library, which is bringing together its two originals with those of Lincoln and Salisbury cathedrals for three days, ending tomorrow.
The four parchments will then be put on private show in parliament on Thursday, kicking off a year of celebrations for a document that still has resonance eight centuries on.
"No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or disseized or outlawed or exiled or in any way ruined, nor will we go and send against him except by the lawful judgment of his peers by the law of the land," it states in Latin.
"To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice."
In June 1215, the wayward King John agreed to the demands of rebellious barons to curb his powers and sealed the charter at Runnymede, a meadow by the River Thames west of London.
Although nearly a third of the text was dropped or substantially rewritten within 10 years and almost all the 63 clauses have been repealed, Magna Carta's principles have become "a potent, international rallying cry against the arbitrary use of power", said the British Library. Anthony Clarke, a British Supreme Court judge, said it remains important as governments seek a balance between issues of security, individual rights, the rule of law and the "principles of justice that lie at the foundation of society".
The principles that justice should be available to all, the law applies to all equally and leaders can only exercise power in accordance with the law continue to be fought for.
The Magna Carta Trust, which looks after the memorial site in Runnymede, believes the charter's importance is growing.
"800 years on, Magna Carta's best days lie ahead," it said.
Events are being staged across England throughout 2015 to mark the anniversary, including a major international commemoration event at Runnymede on June 15. Exhibitions, debates, conferences even a national peal of bells are among events being staged. There will also be a mock trial of the barons who forced the creation of the charter in parliament's Westminster Hall to debate whether they were guilty of treason.


Four original copies of Magna Carta on display at the British Library

An image of an original version of the Magna Carta.Photo: AP

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