The Treachery Act of 1940 was a British law created during World War II to prosecute and execute enemy spies. The law was passed in the month after Hitler invaded France and Winston Churchill became prime minister. The last person to be executed under the Treachert Act was Theodore Schurch . The Act has since been repealed.

The first section of the Treachery Act of 1940 is:

If, with intent to help the enemy, any person does, or attempts or conspires with any other person to do any act which is designed or likely to give assistance to the naval, military or air operations of the enemy, to impede such operations of His Majesty's forces, or to endanger life, shall be guilty of felony and shall on conviction suffer death.

The Treachery Act of 1940 extended the Treachery Act of 1914 , created for World War I.

External links

• Description of people executed under the Treachery Act
• Text of the Treachery Act of 1914