In June 1215, English barons cornered King John on the fields of Runnymede and forced him to sign the Great Charter—Magna Carta—among whose guarantees was the right to habeas corpus: “No man shall be arrested or imprisoned . . . except by the lawful judgment of his peers... Read More →

  One year, long ago, I received a birthday card from my parents, who sent greetings from “the people who made you possible.” They were sensible enough to know that rather than having created me, they had only enabled me—but “only” in a very weighty sense: I would not be... Read More →