The Golden Bull and Magna Carta are two significant historical documents that played

pivotal roles in shaping the governance and legal systems of their respective regions
during the Middle Ages.
The Golden Bull:
 The Golden Bull, also known as the Golden Bull of 1356, was a decree issued by
Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.
 It established the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly
regarding the election of the Holy Roman Emperor.
 The document laid down rules for the election process, specifying the
composition of the electoral college and the procedures for choosing the
emperor.
 The Golden Bull aimed to stabilize the political situation within the empire by
establishing clear guidelines for succession and limiting the influence of external
powers, such as the papacy, in the election process.
Magna Carta:
 Magna Carta, Latin for "Great Charter," is one of the most famous documents in
history, signed by King John of England in 1215.
 It was a feudal charter that aimed to limit the power of the English monarchy and
protect the rights of the nobility.
 Magna Carta contained provisions that addressed issues such as taxation, due
process, and the rights of free men.
 Although initially a peace treaty between King John and his barons, Magna Carta
came to be seen as a foundational document for the development of
constitutional law and individual liberties in England.
 Over the centuries, Magna Carta influenced the development of legal principles
such as habeas corpus, trial by jury, and the notion of constitutional limitations on
government authority.
While both documents were significant in their historical contexts, Magna Carta's
influence has been broader and more enduring, serving as a cornerstone for the
development of constitutional and legal principles not only in England but also in other
parts of the world. The Golden Bull, on the other hand, primarily focused on the internal
governance of the Holy Roman Empire and did not have the same international impact
as Magna Carta.

Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into
writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It sought to
prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by
establishing law as a power in itself.
In 2015 the Houses of Parliament, along with the people of the UK, will be
commemorating 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta (1215).
 When was Magna Carta first issued?
The first version of it was issued in 1215 at Runnymede, an otherwise obscure field
lying next to the Thames in Berkshire between Windsor and Staines. Charters granting
rights and liberties to individuals and groups were issued by lords throughout society,
including the king. They were written records of someone's action and were
authenticated with a wax seal. Although its form was normal for the time, Magna Carta
was the product of political crisis and an uprising of the leading men of England.
Golden Bull of Emperor Charles IV, constitution for the Holy Roman Empire
promulgated in 1356 by the emperor Charles IV. It was intended to eliminate papal
interference in German political affairs and to recognize the importance of the princes,
especially the electors, of the empire. Its name, like that of other “golden bulls,” derived
from its authentication with a golden seal (Latin bulla).
Returning to Germany in July 1355 after his coronation as emperor in Rome, Charles IV
summoned the princes to deliberations at Nürnberg, which resulted in the promulgation
of the first 23 chapters of the Golden Bull on Jan. 10, 1356; the concluding 8 chapters
were added after further negotiation with the princes in Metz on Dec. 25, 1356. The
purpose was to place the election of the German ruler firmly in the hands of the seven
electors and to ensure that the candidate elected by the majority should succeed
without dispute. That the electoral college (see elector) consisted of three ecclesiastical
and four lay princes had been established since 1273, but it was not always clear who
these seven were. Therefore, the Saxon vote was now attached to the Wittenberg (not
the Lauenburg) branch of the Saxon dynasty; the vote was given to the count Palatine
(not to the duke of Bavaria); and the special position of Bohemia, of which Charles
himself was king, was expressly recognized. In addition Charles established succession
by primogeniture, attached the electoral vote to the possession of certain lands, and
decreed that these territories should never be divided. The candidate elected by the
majority was regarded as unanimously elected and entitled to exercise his royal rights
immediately. Thus the pope’s claim to examine rival candidates and to approve the
election was ignored. Also, by instituting the duke of Saxony and the count Palatine as
regents during the vacancy, the Golden Bull excluded the pope’s claim to act as vicar.

These results were achieved only by concessions to the electoral princes, who were
given sovereign rights, including tallage and coinage, in their principalities. Appeals by
their subjects were severely curtailed; conspiracies against them incurred the penalties
of treason. Moreover, the efforts of cities to ensure autonomous development were
repressed, with serious and long-lasting consequences for the future of the German
middle classes. In theory, these privileges were confined to the seven electors; in
practice, all the princes quickly adopted them.