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This Day in History: US PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SUSPENDS HABEAS CORPUS (1861)


US President Abraham Lincoln Suspends Habeas Corpus (1861)

In law, habeas corpus is a writ ordering that a person be brought before a judge, especially to decide whether a prisoner’s detention is lawful. Its suspension means that prisoners can be held indefinitely without being charged. During the US Civil War, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to arrest and silence Southern dissenters. A legal battle ensued, and Lincoln prevailed.Habeas corpus has been suspended numerous times in US history, most recently in what year? More… Discuss