Thought Crime and the Treason Act 1351

Abstract

Has there ever been a law criminalizing mental states in themselves? We show that there has been, and still is: the Treason Act 1351. We argue for what we call ‘the Mental Interpretation’ of the Act, over against the interpretation that it criminalizes a complex of a mental state and an ‘overt act’. We also provide authority for the stronger thesis that the overt act functions purely as evidence for the mental state. We discuss other laws in various jurisdictions that have historically criminalized mental states in themselves. We conclude by considering the objection that the European Convention on Human Rights rules out our interpretation.

The Sedition Conundrum in India: A Critical Examination of its Historical Evolution, Current Application and Constitutional Validity

“…This definition encompassed various acts, including but not limited to regicide, conspiracy to commit regicide, waging war against the monarch, and providing assistance to the monarch’s adversaries. The aforementioned actions were deemed as the gravest transgressions against the monarchy and were subject to capital punishment (Hill and Whistler 2022). The Sedition Act of 1661 was implemented during the tenure of Charles II with the aim of mitigating potential dangers to the monarchy.…”

“…This definition encompassed various acts, including but not limited to regicide, conspiracy to commit regicide, waging war against the monarch, and providing assistance to the monarch’s adversaries. The aforementioned actions were deemed as the gravest transgressions against the monarchy and were subject to capital punishment (Hill and Whistler 2022).…”

Unconventional harm reduction interventions for Minor-attracted persons

“…Such “thought crimes” existed in early English law. 39 Sins of thought have also been recognized historically by various Christian denominations. 40 Whether thoughts of sexual conduct with children are immoral, independent of action, need not be decided in order to support harm reduction.…”