CYBERSPACE SIGHTING: ABA launches new website to mark 800th anniversary of Magna Carta

The American Bar Association Division for Public Education, with support from Magna Carta Trust, has launched a new website, Icon of Liberty, to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. The new website, which can be found at www.iconofliberty.com, features nearly 100 sortable images related to Magna Carta, including audio and video components; an interactive timeline chronicling 800 years of Magna Carta history; and a listing of Magna Carta-related resources.

The website, which is optimized for full accessibility for tablets and smartphones, catalogs historic and contemporary references that help trace the history of the Great Charter, which was sealed in 1215, to relevant topics today. The website utilizes images drawn from documents, murals, architecture, monuments, historical sites, and pop culture.

Magna Carta symbolizes the rule of law throughout the world and was inspirational to the drafters of the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. It paved the way for core legal principles such as due process of law, habeas corpus, trial by jury and the right to a speedy trial.

The ABA's Magna Carta celebration will culminate June 11-15 at historic sites in London and Runnymede, during which the newly-refurbished ABA Magna Carta memorial will be rededicated.

For additional information about Magna Carta commemorative activities and events, visit www.ambar.org/magnacarta or www.lawday.org.

Published: Tue, Mar 31, 2015