‘”It manifestly appeareth, that no man ought be imprisoned but for some certain cause: and these words, Ad subjiciend’ Et recipiend, prove that cause must be shewed: for otherwise how can the Court take order therein according to Law” (Edward Coke, The Second Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England). These are the words of Sir Edward Coke, in his support for the Petition of Right 1628, a landmark English constitutional document presented to King Charles I by Parliament, demanding an end to (among other things) arbitrary imprisonment. The Petition of Right was a crucial precursor to the famous Habeas Corpus Act 1679, an act that forms the bedrock of due process and the right to a fair trial in English law.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 9th February 2026
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
