The Magna Carta is considered by many to have inspired the concept of the rule of law, influencing constitutional thinking  in over 100 countries and the freedoms enjoyed by millions of people worldwide.

At Linklaters, we saw the Magna Carta’s 800^th anniversary in 2015 as an opportunity to reflect on its enduring impact on society and its relevance both now and in the future.

Linklaters was proud to sponsor the British Library's celebration of the 800^th anniversary of the granting of Magna Carta.

Explore Magna Carta

Browse through the original 1215 edition of the Magna Carta and its English translation through Linklaters interactive viewer.

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Magna Carta: the Future of Human Rights?

On December 9, Linklaters pro bono practice hosted Magna Carta: the Future of Human Rights? an event to mark International Human Rights Day – part of a week-long programme of events in conjunction with the Law Society – and to celebrate our sponsorship of the exhibition of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta at the British Library in 2015.

Chaired by Global Pro Bono Partner Kathryn Ludlow, the event featured eminent human rights lawyer and Oxford University Professor Liora Lazarus, who spoke engagingly on

• human rights in the United Kingdom from the Magna Carta up to the present day;
• how the Magna Carta has influenced other landmark rights statutes, such as the US Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, both of which are also being exhibited alongside the copies of the Magna Carta at the British Library; and
• the current UK rights debate in the context of a number of topical issues including extradition and drones.

The lecture offered a chance for members of the firm and pro bono clients to approach the UK human rights debate at an analytical level, exploring the Magna Carta in contemporary social imagination, the background to the Human Rights Act instituted by the Labour government in 1998 and examining debates around a potential new UK Bill of Rights, which the Conservative party have promised to bring into force if they are re-elected in 2015.  Striking comparisons between sections of the Magna Carta and the European Convention on Human Rights were highlighted, as was Britain’s strong human rights and rule of law tradition.

Following the talk, a lively Q&A session commenced, chaired by Kathryn Ludlow, centring on issues including what the consequences would be if Britain were to enact its own rights bill next year. The debate concluded that a departure from the European framework of rights, whilst it likely would not affect the UK with its tradition of liberal constitutionalism, may have far-reaching and profound implications for the human rights of citizens in other EU member States and the world.

Richard Godden, Linklaters partner and a member of the British Library’s Magna Carta Exhibition Advisory Committee, discusses the importance of the Magna Carta in relation to the rule of law and its relevance in inspiring legal frameworks that bring integrity, fairness and certainty to individuals and businesses across the world.