Why does the Magna Carta matter today?

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The enduring influence of the Magna Carta comes not from its detailed expression of the feudal relationship between lord and subject but from its more-general clauses in which every generation can see its own protection. The right to petition and habeas corpus and the concept of due process are derived from language in the Magna Carta, which also was a forerunner of Parliament, the Declaration of independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the U.S. Bill of Rights.

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