Law of Suspects (nonfiction)
The Law of Suspects (French: Loi des suspects) was a decree passed by the Committee of Public Safety on 17 September 1793, during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution.
It marked a significant weakening of individual freedoms that led to "revolutionary paranoia" that swept the nation.
The law ordered the arrest of all avowed enemies and likely enemies of the Revolution, which included nobles, relatives of émigrés, officials removed from office, officers suspected of treason, and hoarders of goods.
The following year, it was expanded and became more strict.
Implementation of the law and arrests were entrusted to oversight committees, and not to the legal authorities.
It also introduced the maxim that subjects had to prove their innocence, which was later extended by the Law of 22 Prairial (nonfiction).
Nonfiction cross-reference
Fiction cross-reference
External links
- Law of Suspects @ Wikipedia