Latin: "Let the precedent (decision) stand." The doctrine that a court should follow the previous decisions of other courts on cases in which the facts are substantially the same. This principle plays a key role in common law systems such as those of Britain and the United States.

The body of unwritten law developed in England from judicial decisions based on custom and earlier judicial decisions. Constitutes the basis of the English legal system and became part of American law, except in Louisiana, which inherited its civil law system from France.

Also known as the Great Charter, King John of England agreed to this document in 1215 at the demand of his barons. The Magna Carta granted certain civil rights and liberties to English nobles and to all ""freemen,"" such as the right to a jury of one's peers and the guarantee against loss of life, liberty, or property except in accordance with law. Some rights were guaranteed for all the king's subjects, free or not free. In doing so, the Magna Carta limited the power of the king, who agreed that his will could be bounded by law, and became a landmark in the history of constitutional government.

Previous court decisions upon which legal issues are decided.

The correction of complaints. The First Amendment protects the right of the people to petition government to obtain remedies for claimed wrongs.

Term prevalent in seventeenth-century England and America referring to certain historically established rights, beginning with the rights of the Magna Carta, that all English subjects were understood to have. These included the right not to be kept in prison without a trial, the right to trial by jury, security in one's home from unlawful entry, and no taxation without consent, among others.

The principle that both those who govern and those who are governed must obey the law and are subject to the same laws. This principle is contrasted to the "rule of men," in which those in power make up the rules as they please. The rule of law requires an independent judiciary that is immune from political or other manipulation.

Latin: "You shall/should have the body." A court order directing that a prisoner be brought to court before a judge to determine whether that prisoner's detention is lawful.

First Norman king in England. Introduced the feudal order to the old Anglo-Saxon system of government.

King of England (1199-1216). John is most well known for having been forced by the barons to sign the Magna Carta in June 1215. His reign was marked by the loss of territory to Philip II of France, which contributed to the dissatisfaction of the barons.

King of Britain and Ireland (1625-1649). Charles believed in the divine right of kings and absolute power of the monarch. He clashed with the House of Commons and ruled seven years without Parliament. Charles was forced to assent to the Petition of Right in 1628. His struggle with Parliament led to Civil War and his execution for high treason.

King of Britain and Ireland (1660-1685). Son of Charles I, he restored the monarchy in 1660 but continued to have problems with Parliament. He agreed to the Habeas Corpus Act in 1678.

English translation of Magna Carta

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From Wikipedia: Ac Act of the Parliament of England that was passed by the Long Parliament shortly after the impeachment and execution of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford in 1641 and before the English Civil War. The writ was amended by the Habeas Corpus Act 1679.

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A resolution of the House of Commons in 1669 guaranteeing the right to petition the lower house of Parliament.

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A petition by the Northern Company of Adventurers, comprised of the surviving members of the Plymouth Company, to create a new settlement and local government in northern Virginia, in the area they designate as New England.

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In this political treatise Montesquieu advocates constitutionalism and the separation of powers, the abolition of slavery, the preservation of civil liberties and the rule of law, and the idea that political and legal institutions ought to reflect the social and geographical character of each particular community, that governments need not be permanent.

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The Habeas Corpus Act 1679 is an act of the English Parliament defining the habeas corpus process, by which a detainee who has petitioned the judiciary must either be set free or have a charge brought against him. The act follows the Habeas Corpus Act 1640, by which an order from the king or Privy Council was deemed insufficient as a response to a petition of habeas corpus.

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Act passed by the British Parliament in 1689 enumerating rights of British subjects and residents. A restating of the Declaration of Right presented to William and Mary a year prior, it guarantees the right to petition the monarch, bear arms for defense, and outlines some requirements for the monarch to seek consent of the people through Parliament.

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Edmund Burke's acceptance speech after being elected to represent Bristol, in which he defends the principles of representative democracy. In it, he argues for action benefiting the greater good and not in deference to local interests.

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From Wikipedia: From Wikipedia: The first Act of Supremacy granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy which is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Royal Supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty of the civil laws over religious ones, which validated Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn over the papal refusal to annul his previous marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Though it was an act of Parliament, the wording of the act stated it as recognized fact, rather than implying that Parliament was granting the king the title.

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From Wikipedia: The Petition of Right is a major English constitutional document, which sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. The Petition is most notable for its confirmation of the principles that taxes can be levied only by Parliament, that martial law may not be imposed in time of peace, and that prisoners must be able to challenge the legitimacy of their detentions through the writ of habeas corpus. Additionally, the Petition's ban on the billeting of troops is reflected in the Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

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From Wikipedia: The Commentaries on the Laws of England are an influential 18th century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765-1769. The Commentaries were long regarded as the leading work on the development of English law and played a role in the development of the American legal system, and are often quoted as examples of common law by U.S. courts wishing to discuss historical matters, as in the intent of the Framers of the U. S. Constitution.

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The case De Libellis Famosis, tried in 1606 by Sir Edward Coke in the Star Chamber, defined seditious libel as criticism of public persons, the government or King, and deemed seditious libel a crime because it could cause a decline in respect for public authority. Having told the truth was not deemed an adequate defense against a charge of seditious libel because respect for public authority was thought necessary to maintain order.

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From Wikipedia: The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American Colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.

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