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GCSE History · key term
A legal safeguard allowing the lawfulness of a person’s detention to be challenged in court.
Used by OCR
Paper 2
Revise: Imperial and Napoleonic Wars (1750–1815)William Pitt the Younger’s government faced fears of invasion, economic strain, rebellion in Ireland and alleged conspiracies. It responded by suspending habeas corpus, widening treason law and restricting public meetings.
Paper 1
A legal procedure requiring a detained person to be brought before a court so that the legality of their imprisonment can be examined.
The Habeas Corpus Act concerned protection against unlawful detention, not a guarantee that an accused person would be acquitted.
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The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 strengthened protection against unlawful imprisonment. Habeas corpus required a detained person to be brought before a court so that the legal basis of their detention could be examined. Authorities could not simply keep someone imprisoned indefinitely without their detention being challenged.