Bill of Rights

Jonathan Sumption

ISBN 10: 1851246037 / ISBN 13: 9781851246038

Published by Bodleian Library, GB, 2022

About this Item

In 2017, the Government's attempt to trigger Article 50 and so leave the European Union resulted in a judgement by the Supreme Court, which stated that the Government was unentitled to do so without the consent of Parliament, directly citing the Bill of Rights in its judgement. Ironically, the Bill of Rights, enacted in 1689 to address abuses by the Crown, was successfully invoked in the twenty-first century to curb a perceived abuse by Government, acting in the name of the Crown. Passed shortly after the Glorious Revolution, the Bill sets out the balance of power between Parliament and the Crown, prohibiting the sovereign from levying taxes, recruiting troops or suspending laws without Parliamentary consent. Establishing Parliament as the ultimate source of power in the land and enshrining basic civil rights first set out in Magna Carta but subsequently abridged, the Bill document can justly claim to serve as the origin of Britain's democracy. Published here with an introduction by Jonathan Sumption providing the historical context of the document and its influence over the centuries - particularly on the United States Bill of Rights - this edition shows how a number of the original clauses find renewed relevance in contemporary events.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781851246038

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Bill of Rights
• Publisher: Bodleian Library, GB
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1851246037
• ISBN 13: 9781851246038
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 114 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This edition of the English Bill of Rights is introduced by historian Jonathan Sumption.

After the UK Government attempted to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union in 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the Government was unentitled to leave the EU without the consent of Parliament, directly citing the Bill of Rights in its judgment. Ironically, the Bill of Rights, enacted in 1689 to address abuses by the Crown, was successfully invoked in the twenty-first century to curb perceived abuse by Government, acting in the name of the Crown.

Passed shortly after the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights sets out the balance of power between Parliament and the Crown, prohibiting the sovereign from levying taxes, recruiting troops, or suspending laws without Parliamentary consent. Establishing Parliament as the ultimate source of power in the land and enshrining basic civil rights first set out in Magna Carta but subsequently abridged, the Bill document can justly claim to serve as the origin of Britain’s democracy.

In this edition, an introduction by Jonathan Sumption provides the historical context of the document and its influence over the centuries—particularly on the United States Bill of Rights.

About the Author

Jonathan Sumption, Lord Sumption, is a former Supreme Court Judge and an award-winning historian.