AEDPA (Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act)

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), enacted in 1996, is U.S. legislation designed to speed up federal criminal justice procedures and limit habeas corpus petitions—legal actions that prisoners use to challenge their convictions or sentences. Its goal is to prevent prolonged legal delays and ensure efficient justice, particularly in death penalty cases. However, it also restricts certain legal rights for prisoners seeking relief from wrongful convictions, making it more difficult to overturn convictions or sentences through federal courts once state appeals have been exhausted.