Magna Carta
In 1215, a group of nobles decided that the king had to respect their rights. They made King John sign the document known as the Magna Carta, meaning Great Charter. This changed some certain rights. Before, the king could put anyone in jail without a cause or reason. But on the Magna Carta, there was the Habeas Corups, which meant you have to have a reason to keep a person in jail. One of the more important laws was that even the King had to obey the law. This idea became one of the basic principle of English Government.
Magna Carta inspired the English to find more ways to limit the Kings power. A council of nobles was created to advise the king. The councils developed into Parliament, the lawmaking body that governs England today. Kings could do very little without the Parliament's support. The English continued to work to secure and protec everyone's rights. The make sure everyone was treated equally, the people demanded that the judges be free of royal control. People thought that because the judge always has been chosen by the king, the judge would always side with him. In about the late 1600, the King agreed. This was a step toward bringing democracy in to England.