Although you're entirely right, and this bill could well give ministers the power to alter the constitution as they see fit, I'm sorry to break the news, but Magna Carta's meant nothing for years, and has already mostly been repealed/amended into insignificance - http://www.davros.org/legal/ magn...agna_carta.html

In any case, Magna Carta's supposed liberty-granting is a myth. It granted liberties to a few aristocrats, certainly, but the claim that it gives ordinary subjects any rights or that it significantly limits the powers of the executive were largely a 17th century invention, starting with Sir Edward Coke and redeveloped by the Parliamentarians during the Civil War to justify their rebellion.

There are no protections of "liberty" in English constitutional law whatsoever. The entire thing runs on a sense of trust and honour - something the current government has entirely lost.
Nosemonkey | Homepage | 23.02.06 - 10:36 am | #

Habeas Corpus was nuked last year.
Antipholus Papps | 23.02.06 - 10:38 am | #

Not entirely correct. There are 3 clauses of the 1257 Magna Carta left in force. The Magna Carta restricted the authority of the Crown, that is why it was so important.

As for protections of liberty - the 1667 Bill of Rights is still in force which goes some way to preventing summary justice. It is broken repeatedly by things such as on-the-spot fines and confiscations (such as towing a car away) but it is still in force and was recently used as a defence by the metric martyrs.
wonkotsane | Homepage | 23.02.06 - 10:44 am | #