Magna Carta

Where rule of law is present, corporations can invest and promote human rights, panelists say

Global corporations can, and should, play an important role in promoting the rule of law around the world. That was the consensus of a panel of attorneys, barristers and academics during a Saturday seminar at the ABA London Sessions commemorating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.…

Jun 13, 2015 11:58 AM CDT

Human rights lawyer: Magna Carta’s inspiration has been subverted by powers that be

The inspirational, and aspirational, template of the Magna Carta for the constitutions and legal documents that succeeded it is one of the recurring themes at the ABA London Sessions commemorating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the historic charter. However, words and phrases are only as good as the…

Jun 13, 2015 11:18 AM CDT

What can US and UK lawyers learn from each other about best practices?

American and British lawyers can learn from each other and borrow examples of good practice from both systems to improve litigation and arbitration overall, attorneys said at a panel discussion at the ABA London Sessions on Saturday. In recent years, international arbitration has borrowed good practice from both the U.S.…

Jun 13, 2015 11:07 AM CDT

‘I’d give anything to have the ABA work with the judiciary in Iraq,’ UK trade envoy says

The rule of law as embodied in the Magna Carta needs to be brought to the people who need it most, said Baroness Emma Nicholson during her luncheon speech at the ABA London Sessions. “People want freedom. People want the rule of law,” Nicholson said. “They want these two things…

Jun 13, 2015 10:10 AM CDT

Laws and regulators need get up to speed with high-frequency trading technology, panelists say

The world of insider trading and the laws needed to prosecute those illegal trades continues to evolve as new issues and technologies used for trading emerge, attorneys said at an ABA panel discussion Friday. The fast-changing landscape is best illustrated by the recent case of Navinder Singh Sarao, the British…

Jun 12, 2015 2:50 PM CDT

UK and US legal systems both sprung from the Magna Carta, but many jurisdictional differences exist

A major theme of the ABA London Sessions commemorating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta is its effect in binding two of the leading common law jurisdictions in the world, the United States and the United Kingdom. But underneath that sheen of commonality lies a whole…

Jun 12, 2015 1:05 PM CDT

The Magna Carta is one of Britain’s best exports, Cherie Blair says

Cherie Blair marked the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta by proclaiming it to be one of Britain’s best exports. “The Magna Carta is one of Britain’s gifts to the world,” she said. “Although only three of its clauses remain on our statutes, it is still a…

Jun 12, 2015 12:45 PM CDT

How different would our world be today had the Magna Carta never been sealed?

Call it the “butterfly effect” from 800 years ago: What if King John had decided to stick it to his nobles and not affix his seal to the Magna Carta? That was the question a panel of judges and academics considered during the 2015 ABA London Sessions commemorating the 800th…

Jun 12, 2015 10:05 AM CDT

International laws complicate the hunt for data evidence

The ubiquity of information, coupled with conflicting international laws about privacy, data protection and national security laws, is making litigation a minefield of challenges, attorneys agreed at a panel discussion at the ABA London Sessions Friday. In simpler times, the question of where evidence was located usually was a straightforward…

Jun 12, 2015 9:05 AM CDT

ABA’s Magna Carta anniversary celebrations kick off in London

The ABA’s celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta peaks with a five-day program in London beginning Thursday featuring pomp, circumstance and continuing legal education programs. The events culminate in a rededication of the ABA memorial to the Magna Carta at Runnymede, England, to be attended by Queen…

Jun 10, 2015 8:30 AM CDT

Queen Elizabeth II will attend Magna Carta anniversary ceremonies at Runnymede

For the past year, the ABA has used the upcoming 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta as an evocative teaching tool emphasizing the ancient roots of democratic principles and the rule of law. Those efforts will culminate in mid-June, when the association holds its London Sessions and participates with British organizations to commemorate the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John of England on June 15, 1215.

Jun 1, 2015 6:20 AM CDT

America’s Magna Carta

During the weeks last summer that the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston hosted one of only four known original copies of the Magna Carta, the single sheet of faded sheepskin parchment might have been the plainest-looking object on display anywhere in the museum's vast array of galleries.

Jun 1, 2015 5:30 AM CDT

Law Day and other activities honor Magna Carta, the document that set forth basic legal rights

As the world prepares to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta on June 15, it is important for us as citizens —and especially as lawyers—to reflect on the importance of this document to our legal system and our way of life.

May 1, 2015 5:40 AM CDT

Pact with ABA aims to bolster rule of law in Sri Lanka

Measured by the standards of diplomatic ritual, the signing of a friendship agreement between the ABA and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka was a modest affair. But representatives of the two bar associations said the agreement will have an important impact on efforts to bolster the rule of law…

Apr 1, 2015 1:30 AM CDT

Student winners of ABA’s Magna Carta video competition are named

Four Arizona high school students have won first place in an ABA video competition with the theme “Magna Carta: What’s So Great about the ‘Great Charter’?” The students will get a free three-day trip to Washington, D.C., for winning the competition commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. They…

Mar 16, 2015 2:11 PM CDT