Magna Carta Barons on Trial

[Dai Kiwi]

I wasn't sure where to place this - here or in the Good Life section [Mods - feel free to move it] - but I thought it was worthy of being brought to the attention of the regulars. The verdict should be out later today.

https://www.supremecourt.uk/news/magna- ... -near.html

Magna Carta Barons prepare to face their fate as mock treason trial draws near

20 July 2015

Leading figures from the worlds of law, politics and academia are preparing to defend their historical alter egos from the charge of treason next week.

To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a mock trial of barons and bishops will take place next Friday (31 July) in front of a tribunal formed by Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer of the US Supreme Court, and Dame Sian Elias, Chief Justice of New Zealand.

Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster - for centuries the home of England's highest law courts - will once again play host to legal argument for this special event.

Chief among those claiming the barons should be found guilty will be King John, played by Clive Anderson, the presenter, comedy writer and former barrister. The King's counsel, James Eadie QC, will make the case that the barons extorted far more than they were entitled when forcing the King to agree their terms - and that they were disloyal to the man to whom they had all sworn allegiance.

Nathalie Lieven QC will in turn seek to defend the barons, arguing that they were simply responding to the king's tyrannical behaviour and that the restrictions in Magna Carta were fully justified in serving the wider public interest. She will be trying to save one of the barons' leaders, Robert FitzWalter, played by Professor David Carpenter of King's College London.

Two other key witnesses will be called by the court. Archbishop Stephen Langton will be played by Lord Lisvane, former Clerk of the House of Commons, while Lord Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, will play William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke.

Modern-day Peers and bishops in the audience will answer the charges briefly as part of a representative group, though will not be expected to plead their case!

The event is being organised jointly by the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee and the UK Supreme Court.

Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, said: "Judges never usually comment before a case, but in this instance I think I can safely make an exception. We will be deciding whether, setting aside the global impact of some of the ideas embedded in Magna Carta, the barons' actions in 1215 could be justified in law.

"We can't promise a polished theatrical performance, but we do hope to offer a creative and interesting way of retelling the great Magna Carta story that encourages people to think about the battle of wills and principles that lay behind this world famous treaty."

More than 500 members of the public applied for free tickets for the event, which have now all been allocated.

The Judges' verdict will be published on the Supreme Court website immediately after the mock trial.

[Normal Wisdom]

Oh my. Don't they realise the waves this could cause in the freetard community? Really, it isn't worth the risk.

[grixit]

When things get tense in the court, Stephen Fry will show up and do a court jester routine. Meanwhile, a former Tory minister of justice will be in the corner dressed as a headsman, giggling and licking his axe.

[NG3]

Oh my. Don't they realise the waves this could cause in the freetard community? Really, it isn't worth the risk.

With our domestic freetard movement?

It's not capable of the waves that more radical and extreme movements could produce.

Ours tends to lack the brains, balls and firepower of most fotl/sovcit movements.

[Dai Kiwi]

The barons and bishops were found not guilty of treason.
http://magnacarta800th.com/news/magna-c ... f-treason/

A couple of sites have given reviews of the evening held at the Great Hall at Westminster (built in the 11th century)
http://legalhackette.com/2015/08/03/tre ... ta-barons/
http://www.legalcheek.com/2015/08/the-j ... r-lawyers/

A video of the event should be available on the Supreme Court website later this week. I'm looking forward to watching it.

[Dai Kiwi]

The UK Supreme Court has posted a 90 minute video of the mock trial on their YouTube channel today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MU7tK6HM3Q

Probably a much better use of time than the incoherent rants from the usual SovCit/FMoTL suspects, or much of whatever is on TV. I'm going to open a nice bottle of Aussie Shiraz and watch it this evening in lieu of a documentary.

Cheers

[Dai Kiwi]

Well, that was an interesting watch, and certainly as entertaining as any courtroom drama or documentary that you'd see on TV of an evening. It is a little slow to start, but the turns by Clive Anderson (King John), Lord Lisvane (Archbishop Langton)
and Prof David Carpenter (Baron Robert FitzWalter) are quite good. Anderson hams it up as John and FitzWalter is quite open about his involvement in plots. The judges' verdicts are given beginning about 1h08m and are certainly worth listening to. There are quite a few sly digs or nods to future (from 1215) events and to modern day circumstances throughout the 90 minutes.

For those interested in history, law, and constitution either professionally, as a hobby or for educational purposes (high school teachers!) this is worth a watch, and worth passing the link on.