---
title: "English Bill of Rights"
year: 1689
country: "United Kingdom"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1689/english-bill-rights"
slug: "english-bill-rights"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1689-01-01"
---

# English Bill of Rights

> Parliament's declaration of rights after the Glorious Revolution established constitutional limits on monarchy and foundational protections that influenced democratic movements worldwide.

In 1689, the English Parliament passed the Bill of Rights, a document that stripped the monarchy of unchecked power and enshrined protections for parliamentary authority and individual liberties. It emerged from the Glorious Revolution, which had just forced King James II from the throne and installed William III and Mary II in his place. This act became the foundation for constitutional monarchy in Britain and inspired similar protections in democracies worldwide.

## Summary

The Bill of Rights 1689 is an act of the Parliament of England that set out certain basic civil rights and changed the succession to the English Crown. It remains a crucial statute in English constitutional law.

## Key facts

- **Passage Date**: 16 December 1689
- **Triggering Event**: Glorious Revolution and flight of James II in November 1688
- **Key Restriction on Monarchy**: Monarch could not suspend laws or levy taxes without parliamentary consent
- **Parliamentary Power Affirmed**: Right to frequent parliaments and free speech within parliament established
- **Number of Core Clauses**: 13 substantive clauses addressing crown powers and rights
- **Monarchs Bound**: William III and Mary II required to assent to the Bill as condition of rule
- **Religious Clause**: Excluded Catholics from succession and barred Catholic monarchs
- **Longevity**: Remains statute law in the United Kingdom as of 2024

## Timeline

- **1688-11-05** - William of Orange lands in England
  William III arrived at Torbay with Dutch forces, beginning the Glorious Revolution that would end James II's reign.
- **1688-12-11** - James II flees to France
  King James II abandoned England, leaving the throne vacant and forcing parliament to resolve the succession crisis.
- **1689-02-13** - William III and Mary II proclaimed joint monarchs
  Parliament declared William and Mary joint sovereigns, conditional on their acceptance of parliamentary supremacy.
- **1689-12-16** - Bill of Rights receives royal assent
  William III formally assented to the Bill of Rights, legally binding the monarchy to its terms and establishing a new constitutional order.
- **1689-12-16** - Parliamentary consent becomes law of succession
  The Bill of Rights established that parliament, not the crown alone, would determine the line of succession and set conditions on royal power.

## Impact

The Bill of Rights 1689 fundamentally reordered the relationship between crown and parliament, establishing that monarchs could not rule by decree, suspend laws, or levy taxes without parliamentary consent. It codified parliamentary supremacy and individual rights protections that outlasted its original context by centuries, becoming a template for constitutional design across the English-speaking world.

## Sources

- [English Bill of Rights 1689](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1689/english-bill-rights