Defence of India Act 1915
Encyclopedia
The Defence of India Act 1915, also referred to as the Defence of India Regulations Act, was an Emergency Criminal Law
enacted by the British Raj
in India
in 1915 with the intention of curtailing the nationalist and revolutionary activities during and in the aftermath of World War I
. It would later be applied during the First Lahore Conspiracy trial in the aftermath of the failed Ghadar Conspiracy
of 1915. The act, after the end of World War I
, formed the basis of the Rowlatt Act
.
The law, Defence of India (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, 1915 (No.4) was analogous to the British Defence of the Realm Acts and was passed though all its stages in the Legislative council on 18 March 1915. It was enacted as a temporary legislation in effect for the duration of World War I
and for six months afterwards. The act gave the Governor General in Council the power to make rules
Contraventions of the rules were punishable by a fine, or imprisonment of up to seven years, or both, or, if the intention of the contravener was to assist the "King's enemies" or wage war against the King, punishments could be heavier, including death.
Sections of the law could be applied in particular provinces by notification of the Governor General in council and were included in the act for Punjab
and Bengal
. These sections empowered the local administration to set up special court
s consisting of three commissioners with power to try for certain offences and with no right to appeal.
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
enacted by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1915 with the intention of curtailing the nationalist and revolutionary activities during and in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It would later be applied during the First Lahore Conspiracy trial in the aftermath of the failed Ghadar Conspiracy
Ghadar Conspiracy
The Ghadar Conspiracy was a conspiracy for a pan-Indian mutiny in the British Indian Army in February 1915 formulated by the Ghadar Party...
of 1915. The act, after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, formed the basis of the Rowlatt Act
Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British in colonial India in March 1919, indefinitely extending "emergency measures" enacted during the First World War in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy...
.
The law, Defence of India (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, 1915 (No.4) was analogous to the British Defence of the Realm Acts and was passed though all its stages in the Legislative council on 18 March 1915. It was enacted as a temporary legislation in effect for the duration of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and for six months afterwards. The act gave the Governor General in Council the power to make rules
Contraventions of the rules were punishable by a fine, or imprisonment of up to seven years, or both, or, if the intention of the contravener was to assist the "King's enemies" or wage war against the King, punishments could be heavier, including death.
Sections of the law could be applied in particular provinces by notification of the Governor General in council and were included in the act for Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
and Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. These sections empowered the local administration to set up special court
Special Court
A Special Court is a court in the United States that deals with a particular field of law rather than a particular territorial jurisdiction. Special courts can handle both civil and criminal disputes. Common forms of special courts include "Drug Courts," "Family Courts," and "Traffic Courts". In...
s consisting of three commissioners with power to try for certain offences and with no right to appeal.