Why did the Magna Carta allow 25 barons to monitor King John?

Under Clause 61 of the 1215 Magna Carta, the 25 barons were appointed to serve as a "form of security" to ensure that the rights and liberties enumerated in the charter were preserved and upheld by the king.12

This provision functioned as a mechanism to hold the monarch accountable to the rule of law. Historians have debated the exact origin of this clause, suggesting it may have been intended as a step toward a limited monarchy or as a formal expression of the barons' feudal right to defy a lord who had violated a contract. By agreeing to this clause, King John effectively authorized his subjects to declare war on him should he fail to adhere to the agreed-upon terms, illustrating the significant pressure he faced to provide good government and avoid civil war.1