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English Bill Of Rights Analysis

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The English Bill of Rights extended the democratic ideal of due process of law in England. In excerpt 1 in this document it reads, “That the pretended power of suspending laws by regal authority without the consent of Parliament is illegal”. In other words, a law can’t just be added or taken out by just anyone for their personal benefit. To make sure that there aren’t any unjust or absurd laws passed, they must be authorized by Parliament first because no one has the right to make this decision themselves and have it be legal. This is essential for having a democratic government because now there is an organized process to create and suspend laws that aren’t just based off of the decision of the king, but rather the Parliament with whom they …show more content…

Another example is excerpt 10, “That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted…” In other words, this is saying that if someone commits a crime, a punishment is due; whether the punishment is to pay money, serve time, etc. The important part is that now the punishment must match the crime. This connects to due process by having a set of guidelines and procedures the government must follow to determine the punishment of someone’s illegal actions. Before the proper use of due process of law, there was chaos and an unorganized, monarchic government that allowed the king to do whatever he pleased; whether it was to execute someone for a minor action, pass an unreasonable law, etc. In conclusion, the extension of due process of law in the English Bill of Rights resulted in a more organized way to get tasks done, and it was almost like a filter because for something to get approved, it had to go through a set of regulations to “filter” everything that wasn’t corresponding with the already set laws. This addition to the English government made it more democratic because it began to share power with others

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