Sedition
This is about the law term. For the Dawn of Azazel album, see Sedition (album).Sedition is a term of
law to refer to covert conduct such as
speech and
organization that is deemed by the legal authority as tending toward
insurrection against the established order. Sedition often included
subversion of a
constitution and
incitement of discontent (or
resistance) to lawful authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws.
Because sedition is typically considered a subversive act, the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition laws vary from one legal code to another. Where those legal codes have a traceable history, there is also a record of the change of definition for what constituted sedition at certain points in history. This overview has served to develop a
sociological definition of sedition as well, within study of
persecution.
The difference between sedition and
treason consists primarily in the subjective ultimate object of the violation to the public
peace. Sedition does not consist of levying war against a government nor of adhering to its enemies, giving enemies aid, and giving enemies comfort. Nor does it consist, in most
representative democracies, of peaceful
protest against a government, nor of attempting to change the government by
democratic means (such as
direct democracy or
constitutional convention).
Sedition in its modern meaning first appeared in the Elizabethan Era (c. 1590) as the "notion of inciting by words or writings disaffection towards the state or constitued authority" [1,89].
Ibid, p90: "Sedition complements treason and martial law: while treason controls primarily the privileged, ecclesiastical opponents, priests, and
Jesuits, as well as certain commoners; and martial law frightens commoners, sedition frightens intellectuals."
An infamous Federal statute in U.S. history is the
Alien and Sedition Acts.
Australia's sedition laws were amended in
anti-terrorism legislation passed on
06 December 2005, updating definitions and increasing penalties.
Laura Berg, a
nurse at a
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs hospital in
New Mexico was
investigated in September 2005 for sedition after writing a letter [
1][
2]to the editor of a local newspaper, criticizing the government. Ms. Berg is now being
represented by the
ACLU.
In New Zealand
Tim Selwyn was convicted of sedition (section 83 of the Crimes Act 1961) on 8 June 2006. He is planning to appeal.
*
Mutiny*
Sedition Act*
Australian sedition law*
Free speech# Breight, Curtis, C.
Surveillance, militarism and drama in the Elizabethan Era, Macmillian 1996: London.# A synopsis of the Australian sedition laws: http://www.law.gov.au/agd/Department/Publications/publications/ICCPR3/articles/article20.pdf
