What document limited the power of the English monarchy in 1689?

What document limited the power of the English monarchy in 1689?

• A. The Magna Carta
• B. The English Bill of Rights
• C. The Act of Union
• D. The Petition of Right

Answer: (B)

The English Bill of Rights, enacted in 1689, is a foundational document in constitutional law that effectively limited the power of the monarchy and established certain civil rights for citizens. After the Glorious Revolution, William of Orange and Mary II ascended to the throne and agreed to abide by the Bill of Rights, which imposed restrictions on royal authority. Among its key provisions, the Bill of Rights stipulated that the monarchy could not levy taxes or maintain an army without the consent of Parliament, reaffirming the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. Furthermore, it protected the rights of individuals by ensuring freedoms such as the right to petition the monarch, the right to bear arms for self-defense (subject to law), and the prohibition of excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment. Other documents mentioned, like the Magna Carta, and the Petition of Right, contributed to the gradual limitation of monarchical power in preceding centuries but did not have the same immediate effect as the English Bill of Rights in a constitutional context. The Act of Union focused on the political union of England and Scotland rather than the limitation of monarchical power.

The English Bill of Rights, enacted in 1689, is a foundational document in constitutional law that effectively limited the power of the monarchy and established certain civil rights for citizens. After the Glorious Revolution, William of Orange and Mary II ascended to the throne and agreed to abide by the Bill of Rights, which imposed restrictions on royal authority.

Among its key provisions, the Bill of Rights stipulated that the monarchy could not levy taxes or maintain an army without the consent of Parliament, reaffirming the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. Furthermore, it protected the rights of individuals by ensuring freedoms such as the right to petition the monarch, the right to bear arms for self-defense (subject to law), and the prohibition of excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment.

Other documents mentioned, like the Magna Carta, and the Petition of Right, contributed to the gradual limitation of monarchical power in preceding centuries but did not have the same immediate effect as the English Bill of Rights in a constitutional context. The Act of Union focused on the political union of England and Scotland rather than the limitation of monarchical power.