Rowlatt Act

Background and evolution

During the First World War, the colonial government used the Defence of India Act 1915 to suppress revolutionary activity, especially by the Ghadar movement in Punjab and revolutionaries in Bengal. As the war ended, these emergency powers were due to lapse. The government appointed a Sedition Committee under Justice Sidney Rowlatt, a British judge, which reported in 1918 and recommended permanent powers to deal with "revolutionary crime".

The Act was passed in March 1919 by the Imperial Legislative Council despite the unanimous opposition of its Indian members; Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Madan Mohan Malaviya and Mazharul Haque resigned in protest. Coming soon after Indian soldiers had fought for Britain in the war and while Indians were expecting political reforms, the law was seen as a betrayal. Popular slogans summed up its spirit as "no vakil, no daleel, no appeal"—no lawyer, no argument, no appeal.

Key features and provisions

• Detention: the government could detain suspects without trial for up to two years.
• Special courts: cases could be tried by special benches of three judges, without juries and sometimes in camera.
• No appeal: the decisions of these courts could not be appealed.
• Evidence: relaxed rules allowed evidence that would not be accepted in ordinary courts.
• Restrictions: the government could require suspects to report to the police, restrict their movements and stop them from taking part in political activity.