IPFW commemorates 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta

News release from IPFW:

IPFW Commemorates 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta with Special Celebration

(November 13, 2015) — Magna Carta, the English charter of liberties first issued by King John in the year 1215, will be the subject of an evening of conversation and the focal point of one student’s research presentation this month at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The event, “Magna Carta: Texts and Contexts,” takes place Wednesday, November 18, at 7 p.m. in the Learning Commons on the second floor of Helmke Library. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a research presentation that focuses on Magna Carta as an important medieval material artifact.

Offering his viewpoint based on years of legal expertise will be local attorney James P. Fenton, partner at the Fort Wayne firm Eilbacher Fletcher LLP. Fenton will speak on the considerable influence Magna Carta has had on the American legal system and judiciary, where it has played a role in the interpretation of key concepts including due process of law, trial by jury, and executive power.

IPFW student Sara Jackson will offer an overview of the many perspectives surrounding the appreciation of Magna Carta. Since last fall, Jackson has been engaged in research of Magna Carta, undertaking research trips both domestically and abroad to see the extant exemplifications of Magna Carta as well as attend various events and exhibitions. Her project, conducted under the auspices of the Honors Program in tandem with the Program in Medieval Studies, an interdisciplinary minor within the Department of History and Department of English and Linguistics, involves historical, cultural, political, legal, linguistic, and material studies elements. An interactive display of her research process and products will be on view in the IPFW Honors Center at the conclusion of the presentation, including a digital magazine, parchment making supplies, and souvenirs from her travels.

 

About the Magna Carta
Magna Carta celebrated its 800th anniversary this year, and consequently has been the subject of many symposia and exhibitions the world over. This document, which first established such common legal premises as habeas corpus, also served as an antecedent for the Constitution of the United States.

This discussion is sponsored by the Honors Program, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of History, the Department of English and Linguistics, and the Program in Medieval Studies. Funding for Jackson’s project has been generously provided by the Honors Program and the Department of English and Linguistics.

To learn more about the IPFW Honors Program, student research at IPFW, and upcoming events, visit the IPFW website.

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