In 1215, King John was forced into signing a charter, known as the Magna Carta. As a result he greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England and it led to formation of a powerful parliament. The Magna Carta, a collection of 37 English laws, thus became an important event for citizen’s rights. It curbed the King’s power and forced him to rule according to the old English laws that had prevailed before the Norman invasion. The most important features of the Magna Carta were the freedom of the Church from royal interference and no taxes were to be levied without the consent of the Great Council or Parliament.
