ABSTRACT
CURBING THE CROWN Prohibitions del Roy (1607) The King cannot arrest subjects or pass judgment in court Case of Proclamations (1611) The King cannot simply announce changes in the law Case of Ship Money (1637) The King cannot bypass Parliament to raise taxes
CURBING THE JUDGES Bushell’s Case (1670) Judges must accept juries’ verdicts on facts
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS R v Knowles, ex parte Somersett (1772) Slavery is abhorrent to English common law R v Bentley (Deceased) (2001) Pardon was granted for unfair trial and unsafe conviction
WARTIME RESTRICTIONS ON LIBERTY R v Halliday (1917) Interning a naturalised British subject of German origin was valid Liversidge v Anderson (1942) House of Lords acceded to arbitrary executive behaviour
The King cannot arrest anyone. He may sit in King’s Bench but the Court gives the judgment, not the King.
