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Magna Carta

Magna Carta, [Latin 'great charter'] The English charter that King John granted to the barons in 1215 and Henry III and Edward I later confirmed. It is generally regarded as one of the great common-law documents and as the foundation of constitution liberties. The other three great charters of English Liberty are the Petition of Right (3 Car. (1628)), the Habeas Corpus Act (31 Car. 2 (1679)), and the Bill of Rights (1 Will. SM. (1689)). Also spelled Magna charta, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 963.This Great Charter is based substantially upon the Saxon Common Law, which flourished in this kingdom until the Normaninvasion consolidated the system of feudality, still the great characteristic of the principles of real property. The barons assembled at St.Edmund's Bury, in Suffolk, in the later part of the year 1214, and there solemnly swore upon the high alter to withdraw their allegiance from the Crown, and openly rebel, unless King John confirmed by a formal charter the ancient li...


privilege

privilege [Latin privilegium law affecting a specific person, special right, from privus private + leg- lex law] 1 : a right, license, or exemption from duty or liability granted as a special benefit, advantage, or favor: as a : an exemption from liability where an action is deemed to be justifiable (as in the case of self-defense) or because of the requirements of a position or office ;also : the affirmative defense that an action is privileged compare excuse absolute privilege : a privilege that exempts a person from liability esp. for defamation regardless of intent or motive ;specif : a privilege that exempts high public officials (as legislators) from liability for statements made while acting in their official capacity without regard to intent or malice qualified privilege : a privilege esp. in the law of defamation that may be defeated esp. by a showing of actual malice called also conditional privilege b : an exemption from a requirement to disclose information (as fo...


Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, a tribunal of Privy Councilors, established by 2 & 3 Wm. 4, c. 92, for the disposal of appeals to the Sovereign in Council. It consists of the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President and ex-Lords President, the six Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, and such other members of the Privy Council as shall from time to time hold or have held 'High Judicial Office,' i.e., judges of the Supreme Courts of England or Ireland, Court of Session in Scotland, and not more than seven judges of the superior courts of the self-governing Colonies (or other possession fixed by Order in Council), and not more than two judges of any High Court in India as shall be nominated by the King.The Committee sits in Downing Street, Whitehall. Appeals are conducted before it as before a court, although inform it reports to the King advising that an appeal should be allowed or disallowed: consequently dissenting opinions are not disclosed. The principal matters which come before the Ju...


Forfeiture

Forfeiture, a penalty for an offence or unlawful act, or for some wilful omission of a tenant of property whereby he loses it, together with his title, which devolves upon others.Forfeiture resulted from the following circumstan-ces:--(1) Treason, misprision of treason, felony, murder, self-murder, pr'munire, and striking or threatening a judge. But the (English) Forfeiture Act, 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 23), enacted that no conviction, etc., for treason or felony, or felo de se, shall cause any forfeiture except as consequent on outlawry. The Act also makes provision for the appointment by the Crown of administrators of the property of convicts.(2) Conveyance contrary to law, as transferring a freehold to an alien, who formerly could take lands but could not hold them; wherefore upon office found the Crown was entitled to the land. But the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914 (substituted for the (English) Naturalization Act, 1870), subject to certain provisoes, enables ali...


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