Charter of Liberties

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The Charter of Liberties, also called the Coronation Charter, was a written proclamation by Henry I of England, issued upon his ascension to the throne in 1100. It bound the king to certain laws regarding the treatment of church officials and nobles. It is considered a landmark document in English history and a forerunner of Magna Carta.

The document addressed certain abuses of royal power by his predecessor, his brother William Rufus, specifically the over-taxation of the barons, the abuse of vacant sees, and the practices of simony and pluralism.

The charter of liberties was generally ignored by monarchs until in 1213 Archbishop Langton reminded the nobles that their liberties had been guaranteed over a century prior in Henry I's Charter of Liberties.

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