English Bill of Rights 1689 (Essay Sample)

English Bill of Rights 1689
Name
Course
Institution
Date
English Bill of Rights 1689
The English Bill of Rights was an act until 1689 when it was signed into law by the successors of King James II of England, who were William III and Mary II. The bill mainly focused on outlining specific constitutional and civil rights, and it gave power to the Parliament over the English monarchy. The English Bill of Rights is regarded as the principal law that made it possible to have a monarchy that is constitutional in England. Additionally, it is considered to be the inspiration for the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Accusations made against King James II
King James II was accused of pursuing the re-establishment of the Roman Catholic church in England, against the wishes of the Protestants ((English Bill of Rights, 1689). This was not true considering that the clause had already been signed before by King Charles II in the “Treaty of Dover” in 2670 between him and King Loius XIV. At the time, King Charles had expressed interest in becoming a Catholic but he was afraid that the Republicans would use that against him and propose an overthrow of the monarchy.
When he became king, James took an oath to rule by the laws of the land. However, he was accused of breaking his oath by collecting Customs and Excise Duties (English Bill of Rights, 1689). The facts however state that Charles, James’ predecessor, had the right to collect customs for a lifetime. Parliament at the time had the power to meet and authorize the collection of Customs. James’ enemies came up with the argument that even if it was justifiable by Parliament to collect the Customs, it was not legal to use them. Also, before he died, Charles signed the authority to collect Excise Duties and James appealed to the judges. Despite not being elected by James, they agreed that it was legal for him to collect them. However, the Whip propagandists portrayed the collection of the Excise Duties in such a negative manner that he was accused of not obeying the laws of the land.
Powers That Were Taken Away From King James II
King James II lost the power to execute laws in his capacity as king without the consent of the Parliament.
He also lost the power to collect Customs and Excise duties to the Parliament. It was declared that collection of Duties and Customs could only be done with the authorization of Parliament.
King James II also lost the power to elect his members of Parliament. The English Bill of Rights was