These were the major provisions of this bill of rights. They favored both the English people and also the royalty. Also, there were other minor provisions of the bill that included barring Roman Catholics from the throne. The king and queen were afterward required to sign an oath before taking over the throne. This oath was for maintaining the Protestant religion.
The English Bill of Rights and Its Use in Modern Times
- This bill assists in ensuring that those in power don’t misuse it. In addition, it helps the regular citizens to exercise their democratic rights and enjoy free speech.
- This bill today can be compared to the American Constitution, including the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth amendments.
- This bill of rights is regularly utilized in legal proceedings in the Commonwealth. It is constantly modified to suit the circumstances of the day.
There were two exceptional designs of commemorative 2-pound coins that were issued in 1989 in the UK to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution. One coin referred to the Claim of Right while the other referred to the Bill of Rights. Both coins portray the mace of the House of Commons and William and Mary’s Royal Cypher. One coin also displays a representation of the Crown of Scotland while the other shows St Edward’s Crown. The English Bill of Rights was inscribed in UNESCO’s UK Memory of the World Register in 2011, recognizing that all the major principles of this bill are still applicable today, and it continues to be cited in various legal cases in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth countries in general. This bill of rights has global significance, as it was a model for the 1789 US Bill of Rights. Its influence can be seen in documents that establish human rights, for instance, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Other than the English Bill of Rights, there is the bill of rights of animals.
Bill of Rights for Animals
One question that people normally ask is, do animals require a bill of rights? On a daily basis, animals are mistreated and abused worldwide by those that don't care for them. More attention should be given to animal treatment because even though we make laws for animals and their welfare in general, most people still won't follow them.
The laws that have already been created for animals should be enforced. Animals require protection, especially from any intentional harm towards them. Most people, however, feel that establishing a bill of rights for animals seems extreme.
As commonly known, most animals are used for scientific experiments. Some of these experiments end up cruelly harming these animals. If it is necessary to experiment using animals, then the experiment should be done in a manner that doesn't hurt the animals. Another reason for advocating for animal protection is that some people mistreat or harm animals in the name of entertainment. One form of entertainment for humans is the hunting of wild animals for sport. Animals like tigers, cheetahs, lions, and bears have been hunted and killed either for meat or for sport. Fishing is another form of entertainment for those who catch fish to eat and do not realize the pain they cause the fish. Just because the fish don't yell as a result of pain doesn't imply that they don't feel it. Humans need to view animals as living things as well, and they have feelings. More attention should be paid to how we treat them.