Constitutional history -- England -- Sources; Magna Carta
55. All fines made with us unjustly and against the law of the land,
and all amercements, imposed unjustly and against the law of the land,
shall be entirely remitted, or else it shall be done concerning them
according to the decision of the five and twenty barons whom mention is
made below in the clause for securing the pease, or according to the
judgment of the majority of the same, along with the aforesaid Stephen,
archbishop of Canterbury, if he can be present, and such others as he
may wish to bring with him for this purpose, and if he cannot be
present the business shall nevertheless proceed without him, provided
always that if any one or more of the aforesaid five and twenty barons
are in a similar suit, they shall be removed as far as concerns this
particular judgment, others being substituted in their places after
having been selected by the rest of the same five and twenty for this
purpose only, and after having been sworn.
56. If we have disseised or removed Welshmen from lands or liberties,
or other things, without the legal judgment of their peers in England
or in Wales, they shall be immediately restored to them; and if a
dispute arise over this, then let it be decided in the marches by the
judgment of their peers; for the tenements in England according to the
law of England, for tenements in Wales according to the law of Wales,
and for tenements in the marches according to the law of the marches.
Welshmen shall do the same to us and ours.
57. Further, for all those possessions from which any Welshman has,
without the lawful judgment of his peers, been disseised or removed by
King Henry our father, or King Richard our brother, and which we retain
in our hand (or which are possessed by others, and which we ought to
warrant), we will have respite until the usual term of crusaders;
excepting those things about which a plea has been raised or an inquest
made by our order before we took the cross; but as soon as we return
(or if perchance we desist from our expedition), we will immediately
grant full justice in accordance with the laws of the Welsh and in
relation to the foresaid regions.
58. We will immediately give up the son of Llywelyn and all the
hostages of Wales, and the charters delivered to us as security for the
peace.
59. We will do towards Alexander, king of Scots, concerning the return
of his sisters and his hostages, and concerning his franchises, and his
right, in the same manner as we shall do towards our other barons of
England, unless it ought to be otherwise according to the charters
which we hold from William his father, formerly king of Scots; and this
shall be according to the judgment of his peers in our court.
60. Moreover, all these aforesaid customs and liberties, the
observances of which we have granted in our kingdom as far as pertains
to us towards our men, shall be observed b all of our kingdom, as well
clergy as laymen, as far as pertains to them towards their men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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