Tyrannicide BriefPart 2

By Abby Brown

The two most important things that came out of the English Civil War were

1. torture is no longer legal and

2. rulers were not above the law

1641King Charles Brings Back

Parliament

•Needed Parliament to fund taxes for war against Scotland

•Parliament did not like Charles→ Made laws against him

­ Star Chamber: King’s personal court that tortured people who disagreed with king

­ Parliament abolished Star Chamber and made torture no longer legal

1642Judiciary No Longer Dependent on King

Freedom of Speech

• John Milton was a poet who argued for free speech

• Levellers: 1st investigative journalists; investigated EVERYONE (including king and Oliver Cromwell)

Basis for B

ill of

Rights

1649High Court of Justice

•Made up of mayors, courts, nobles

­ No king to try the king

Trial of Charles I

•1st trial ever of a head of state

•Court found Charles guilty of tyranny (crimes against humanity today)

­ Ordered torture of POWs

­ Allowed rape and pillage of conquered villages

Conclusion

The results of this period of time are important because it set the stage for the English Bill of Rights,

which limited the power of the monarchy and protected the rights of the citizens. It also made torture illegal, which has made forceful interrogation illegal

in the present day.