Key features of the Rowlatt Act included:


No Trial: Individuals arrested under the Rowlatt Act could be detained without trial, and the normal legal safeguards, such as the right to legal representation, were suspended.

Detention Period: The Act allowed for the detention of individuals for a maximum period of two years without filing formal charges or conducting a trial.

No Right to Habeas Corpus: The detainees had no right to seek a writ of habeas corpus, which is a legal order that requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court.

The Rowlatt Act was met with widespread opposition and protests in India, as it was seen as a repressive and draconian measure. The discontent over the Rowlatt Act eventually led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, where British troops fired on a crowd of unarmed Indian protesters, resulting in hundreds of casualties.

The opposition to the Rowlatt Act played a significant role in fueling the Indian independence movement and strengthening the resolve of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi to fight for self-rule and civil liberties. The Act was eventually repealed in 1920.