Magna Carta in Hong Kong

The British Consulate-General has confirmed the public exhibition of an original Magna Carta as part of worldwide celebrations of its 800th anniversary.

Magna Carta established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the sovereign, was subject to the law. The most famous clauses of Magna Carta declare that no free man shall be imprisoned without trial by his equals or by the law of the land, and that no-one shall be denied justice.

Sir Winston Churchill once hailed Magna Carta as a reaffirmation of a supreme law which is above the King and which even he must not break. Those who value the rule of law and due legal process have always held Magna Carta in the highest respect ever since its enactment.

This 1217 copy of Magna Carta will be displayed alongside the only surviving copy of the King’s Writ, a letter sent by King John from Runnymede in 1215 to royal officials in each English county, announcing the terms of Magna Carta.

“It is very meaningful to be able to bring Magna Carta to Hong Kong. This is a seminal legal document. Its principles have stood the test of time. They are corner stones for the legal systems of both the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.” commented the British Consul General, Caroline Wilson, who then continued “The Magna Carta exhibition is the perfect occasion to celebrate our shared common law heritage and the close links between our legal systems. I hope that members of the public will take the opportunity to see, with their own eyes, this historic document close up. And to learn about what it represents.”

Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen also welcomed the tour saying that “The rule of law, which the Department of Justice has been doing its utmost to uphold, is the bedrock of Hong Kong’s success. Our common law heritage is not just preserved but allowed to develop under the Basic Law which implements the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”. Magna Carta is an embodiment of a number of core values such as equality before the law and access to justice which the community of the Hong Kong SAR shares. In this regard, we are privileged to have an opportunity to be involved in one of the celebratory events for the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, which is the tour of its 1217 copy to the Hong Kong SAR, allowing the general public here to better understand the enduring relevance of the rule of law in a modern global context.”

The Magna Carta will be on display to the public from Wednesday 11-14 November at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery, 5/F One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty.

Magna Carta
Date: 11-14 November, 2015
Venue: Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery, 5/F One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty.
Tickets: Free