The Petition of Right aims to prevent the monarch from;
- establishing martial law in peacetime,
- imprisoning people without just cause, and
- raising taxes without parliament's approval.
What is the Petition of Right?
The Petition of Right of 1628 was a petition sent to King Charles by Parliament. In the petition, parliament complained of a series of breaches of the law by the monarch such as levying taxes without common consent or imprisoning a free man without cause, which was against the spirit of the Magna Carta.
The petition has four main propositions which include:
- no taxation without the consent of Parliament,
- no imprisonment without cause,
- no quartering of soldiers on subjects, and
- no martial law in peacetime.
The Petition of Right was drawn by the parliament because they wanted to take back their right to produce a recommitment from the crown to observe the rule of law.
To continue receiving subsidies for his policies, the monarch was forced to accept the petition, but he later ignored its principles.
Therefore the Petition of Right aims to prevent the monarch from establishing martial law in peacetime, imprisoning people without just cause, and raising taxes without parliament's approval.