The act was formulated by the committee led by Sir Sydney Rowlett to curb revolutionary activities and suppress the freedom movement. It was based on the recommendations of the Rowlett Committee the central legislative assembly enacted the laws known as Rowlett laws.
This law has been rightly called a law with ‘no lawyer, ho appeal, no argument against it. It was arbitrary. Anybody could be arrested and imprisoned without trial. At that time Indians were greatly dissatisfied because Britain had promised Dominion Status to India after the First World War.
However they got this draconian act which they called The Black Act. During the Rowlett act, Mahatma Gandhi was called a country-wide hartal against the Rowlett act on April 6, 1919. There were stray cases of violence and lawlessness all over the country. Mahatma Gandhi was debarred from entering Delhi, Punjab and in some areas, the police resorted to brutal violence.