In what year did the Habeas Corpus Act become law?

The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 is a cornerstone of legal rights in the UK and many other countries. Think of it as a safeguard against unlawful imprisonment. Before this act, it was much easier for the authorities to detain someone without proper justification or a fair trial. The term "Habeas Corpus" is Latin, meaning "you shall have the body." What it essentially does is require that a person being detained be brought before a court. The court then determines if the detention is lawful. If not, the person must be released. While the principle of Habeas Corpus existed before 1679, this Act formalized and strengthened the process, making it much more effective. It established clear procedures for challenging detention and ensured that individuals couldn't be held indefinitely without due process. So, the significance of 1679 is that it marked a major step forward in protecting individual liberties against arbitrary state power, making it a key date to remember for the Life in the UK test. The other dates are tempting because they are in the same era, but they don't relate to this specific, vital piece of legislation.