Misprision of Treason Law and Legal Definition
Misprision of treason is the failure to perform a public duty. A person who knows that a treason is being or is about to be committed but does not report it to a proper authority commits a misprision of treason.
Misprision of treason is an offense under the U.S. federal law. Any person having knowledge of the commission of any treason must disclose and make known the same to the president of the U.S or other authorized Judges. [Charge to Grand Jury-Treason, 1861 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8 (D. Mass. 1861)].
Pursuant to 18 USCS § 2382, “whoever, owing allegiance to the United States and having knowledge of the commission of any treason against them, conceals and does not, as soon as may be, disclose and make known the same to the President or to some judge of the United States, or to the governor or to some judge or justice of a particular State, is guilty of misprision of treason and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than seven years, or both”.
