John Phillip Reid addresses the central constitutional issues that divided the American colonists from their English legislators: the authority to tax, the authority to legislate, the security of rights, the nature of law, the foundation of constitutional government in custom and contractarian theory, and the search for a constitutional settlement.

This book begins with a detailed commentary and explanation of the political and social climate that dictated the necessity of the Magna Carta. The initial report is followed by the original Latin text, a translation and further comments on the sections of the text. It is arguably the most thorough attempt to explain and provide insight into the most crucial document in British history.

The European Convention on Human Rights of 1950 established the most effective international system of human rights protection ever created. This is the first book that gives a comprehensive account of how it came into existence, of the part played in its genesis by the British government, and of its significance for Britain in the period between 1953 and 1966.