Trebuchets

Today, June 15th, is the 810th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. One clause reads:'No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.'This and other principles may seem obvious and inviolate but it is good to be reminded of them. A new challenge is around the corner. In a world administered by AI, what is the trade-off between judgement by algorithm and judgement by equals. It may be safe for a while for heinous crimes but so many little everyday judgements are likely to be made by the 'machine'.I am not a Luddite - I embrace the excitement of new frontiers and new possibilities. I simply travel with my eyes open. A great deal of justice is impaired by legal systems that are overburdened and clogged. AI has the potential to ease that. We just need to keep our eyes open and use the tools carefully (they cannot be put back in the box - so we better learn to use them). One of the things I like about Magna Carta (unlike much subsequent legislation) is the simplicity of its assertions of principles. Meanwhile here is an image of King John - whose poor rule prompted rebel barons to force him to sign this document. He is out hunting. Note the distinctively- marked black and white hound. In my view this tyoe are possibly the antecedant of the Dalmatian (dama = fallow deer in Latin; chien = dog in French) Dama-chien = deer dog. We have several references to types of hunting hounds being used in the medieval period as guard escorts for mounted travellers. In later centuries, Dalmatians became the protection dogs of choice for travellers, whether journeying by coach or on horseback.You can see more about Dalmatians and coach travel in my film 'Dogs in the Age of Revolutions' available on History Hit. History Hit have also just released an excellent documentary about Magna Carta. Check out History Hit's free trial offers. ... See MoreSee Less

Trebuchets

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