Stephen Langton

Stephen Langton (1150-1228) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1207-1228. A leader in the struggle against King John, Langton, on behalf of the barons, drafted the Magna Carta as an appeal to the king to respect the liberties granted by Henry I. Agreed to by King John in 1215, the Magna Carta protected the rights of the church, guarded the barons from unjust imprisonment, and limited feudal payments to the King. Although the document was redrafted and adjusted by others over time, Langton’s role in representing the rights of royal subjects is seen today as a crucial defense of liberty that continues to influence legal scholarship and political representation worldwide.