The Coronavirus Act 2020 was passed on 25 March 2020 and gave the Government various new powers to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. The act stipulates that the House of Commons must have the opportunity to decline to renew certain of these powers every six months. A parallel debate on the temporary provisions in the act is to take place in the House of Lords on 28 September 2020.
Documents to download
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A Brief History of the Magna Carta (328 KB, PDF)
This Note has not been written in preparation for a specific debate in the House of Lords, but is offered as a short guide for Members on a topic of general interest. In 2015, it will be 800 years since the Magna Carta, or ‘Great Charter’, is thought to have been sealed by King John on 15 June 1215. This Note will consider the background to the introduction of the Magna Carta, providing a summary of some of the factors that historians have identified as important in bringing the Charter into existence. It will look at the provisions of the original document and how these were amended in subsequent reissues; provide a brief account of the later history of the document; and consider the influence the Magna Carta has had in the 800 years since its creation.
Documents to download
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A Brief History of the Magna Carta (328 KB, PDF)
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