The Constitution Violated
An Essay

A discussion of the legal ramifications of the Contagious Diseases Acts from constitutional and feminist viewpoints, first published in 1871.

Josephine Butler (Author)

9781108020985, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 October 2010

192 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.1 cm, 0.25 kg

Josephine Elizabeth Butler (1828–1906) was a prominent English feminist who was best known for her controversial campaigns concerning the welfare and civil rights of prostitutes. In 1869 she became the leader of the campaign to limit the extension of the Contagious Diseases Acts. These Acts aimed to control the spread of venereal diseases in the armed forces through mandatory internal examinations and imprisonment for women accused of prostitution. Butler's campaign was instrumental in having the Acts repealed in 1886. In this volume of 1871, Butler denounces the Acts for denying accused women their civil rights, and discusses how repeal, together with universal suffrage and constitutional reform, would prevent this situation from recurring. Butler was one of the first feminists to frame her arguments explicitly through female experiences, and this volume illustrates her approach. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=butljo

1. Magna Charta
2. The Contagious Diseases Act
3. Trial by jury
4. Smuggling Bill of 1836
5. Offences not defined under Acts
6. Subversion of private morality
7. The battle of principles
8. The right of resistance
9. The tribunal of the whole nation
Appendices.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]