The Suffragette “Cat and Mouse Act”

The Suffragette “Cat and Mouse Act,” formally known as the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act of 1913, was a controversial British law enacted in response to the hunger strikes of imprisoned suffragettes. The law enabled authorities to release hunger-striking suffragettes on health grounds and rearrest them once they had recovered, thus creating a cycle of release and re-arrest.

• Dates: The “Cat and Mouse Act” was enacted on April 25, 1913.
• Details: Imprisoned suffragettes began using hunger strikes as a protest tactic in 1909, demanding to be recognized as political prisoners. British authorities, fearing the political repercussions of suffragettes dying in custody, began force-feeding the strikers, a brutal and dangerous process. The “Cat and Mouse Act” was introduced as an alternative to force-feeding. It allowed the temporary release of hunger-striking suffragettes whose health was at risk, only to rearrest them once they had recovered.
• Trivial Facts: The nickname “Cat and Mouse Act” stemmed from the perception that the government was toying with the suffragettes, much like a cat would toy with a captured mouse.
• Effects on Pop Culture: The “Cat and Mouse Act” fueled public debate and drew further attention to the suffragette movement. While the law itself did not directly impact popular culture, the broader suffragette movement inspired various works of literature, film, and theater that continue to resonate today.
• Prominent People: Key figures in the suffragette movement who were affected by the “Cat and Mouse Act” include Emmeline Pankhurst, the founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), her daughters Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst, and other prominent suffragettes like Emily Davison, Lady Constance Lytton, and Marion Wallace-Dunlop. Herbert Henry Asquith, the British Prime Minister at the time, played a crucial role in the legislation’s passage.
• Countries Involved: The “Cat and Mouse Act” was specific to the United Kingdom, although suffragette movements and their struggles for women’s suffrage took place in various countries, including the United States and Canada.

In summary, the “Cat and Mouse Act” was a controversial British law enacted in 1913 in response to the hunger strikes staged by imprisoned suffragettes. The law allowed authorities to release and rearrest hunger-striking suffragettes, creating a cycle that drew attention to the suffrage movement and fueled public debate. While the “Cat and Mouse Act” did not directly impact popular culture, the broader suffragette movement inspired various creative works that continue to be influential today.