Constitutional Law

Preventive Detention

Detention of a person by the state to prevent them from committing a future offence, without the ordinary criminal trial process, subject to specific constitutional safeguards.

Because preventive detention allows confinement without a formal trial, the Constitution builds in specific safeguards — such as a maximum initial detention period and review by an advisory board — to guard against its misuse.

A person subjected to preventive detention can challenge the order, including through a habeas corpus petition, if these safeguards weren't properly followed.

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