The Cat and Mouse Act

The Cat and Mouse Act was a law enacted in the early 20th century in the UK (1913) targeted at suffragettes imprisoned for protesting for women’s voting rights. It allowed authorities to temporarily release hunger-striking prisoners to regain their strength, then re-arrest them once they recovered. The name likened this process to a cat chasing a mouse, with the government acting as the cat. The act aimed to prevent protests from disrupting public order but was criticized for harsh treatment of political activists. It highlighted tensions over civil disobedience and women’s suffrage during that period.