ISBA Assembly passes resolution supporting 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
The ISBA Assembly unanimously approved a resolution in support of the celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta on Saturday, Dec. 13 during the Joint Midyear Meeting in Chicago. The resolution was brought forth by ISBA Governor Stephen M. Komie.
The text of the resolution is available here and below:
ASSEMBLY
ILLINOIS STATE BAR ASSOCIATION
MIDYEAR MEETING
A Resolution in Support of Celebrating the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
WHEREAS, Magna Carta (Latin; "Great Charter"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an Angevin charter originally issued in Latin;
WHEREAS, on June 15, 1215, at Runnymede on the banks of the River Thames near Windsor, England, King John affixed his seal to Magna Carta. King John confronted by 40 rebellious barons at the point of a sword consented to their demands in order to avert civil war. However, just 10 weeks later, Pope Innocent III nullified the agreement, and England plunged into internal war. Although Magna Carta failed to resolve the conflict between King John and his barons, it was reissued several times after his death;
WHEREAS, Magna Carta was written by a group of 13th-century barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. It is concerned with many practical matters and specific grievances relevant to the feudal system under which they lived. The interests of the common man were hardly apparent in the minds of the men who brokered the agreement. But there are two principles expressed in Magna Carta that resonate to this day:
"No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."
"To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice."
WHEREAS, the Magna Carta established enduring principles of liberty which have become an inspiration for democracies throughout the world;
WHEREAS, during the American Revolution, Magna Carta served to inspire and justify action in liberty's defense. The colonists believed they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen, rights guaranteed in Magna Carta. They embedded those rights into the laws of their states and later into the Constitution and Bill of Rights;
WHEREAS, the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution ("no person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.") is a direct descendent of Magna Carta's guarantee of proceedings according to the "law of the land."
WHEREAS, the idea that all are subject to the law, including kings and presidents, had its origin in Magna Carta. The ideals of the Magna Carta – the basis of the rule of law – reflect the principle aims and objectives of the Illinois State Bar Association;
WHEREAS, next year is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, a seminal legal document that still provides essential legal principles for us today;
WHEREAS, the Magna Carta has resonated through the centuries and across the globe like no other legal text. The 800th anniversary of its first issue at Runnymede in 1215 presents a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of a text that enshrines the individual's right of access to due process in law;
WHEREAS, the ISBA is the voice of the legal profession of Illinois, it is fitting and proper for this Association to participate in the celebration of the 800th anniversary and incorporate association members into our public relations recognition of the Magna Carta on Law Day May 2015;
THEREFORE, be it resolved the Illinois State Bar Association declares 2015 to be the year of the Magna Carta and the Rule of Law which flows from the Magna Carta;
FURTHER, be it resolved that the Illinois State Bar Association encourages its members, staff, and all bar associations in Illinois to celebrate in a variety of ways this important anniversary;
FURTHER, be it resolved the Illinois State Bar Association encourages elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and universities of Illinois to provide students with an opportunity to reflect on the individual’s right of access to due process of law. Further, to offer opportunities to students to learn the Magna Carta limited the absolute right of kings in medieval times to act above the law;
FURTHER, be it resolved that the ISBA Standing Committee on Law Related Education for the Public be encouraged to incorporate the Magna Carta and the principles embodied therein in its outreach to elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and universities;
FURTHER, be it resolved that the Illinois State Bar Association acknowledges and supports in concept the 2015 celebration of the Magna Carta sponsored by the American Bar Association in London;
FURTHER, be it resolved that the President of the ISBA be authorized to designate representatives to attend the 2015 ABA Magna Carta celebration in London;
FINALLY, be it resolved the Illinois State Bar Association will therefore celebrate next year, in a variety of flora, this important anniversary and the continuing vitality of the Magna Carta's ideals throughout the world.