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Originally Posted by whswhs
Normally, I would agree with this. But the stated condition is "a reverse version, arresting a band of conspirators with sizeable political power." That suggests that it's the conspirators who are acting outside the law, though with the cover of a measure of perceived legitimacy. In that case, the people doing the arresting had better be able to establish the legal basis of their own actions. Note that the word "arresting" itself conveys operating under some sort of law; otherwise you'd say "capturing," I think.
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Most counter-revolutions feature mid- to senior-ranking military officers commanding soldiers operating within the borders of their own country, often without legal standing, and generally involve arresting the (supposed) conspirators. Their intellectual supporters may devote much time afterward to justifying their activities with the Law skill, but it is rare for the principals to spare much thought to legalities during the action, as opposed to Politics, Propaganda, Public Speaking and Leadership.
Napoleon didn't ask Lucien to use the Law skill before he used his troops to give rioters a whiff of grapeshot and later to implicitly threaten the deputies, he relied on him for
political support. And, in fact, Napoleon acted illegaly, if anyone would have cared. But under the sort of circumstances where coups and counter-coups usually take place, the legitimacy of the existing laws is generally in question, anyway. And what is legal is ultimately determined by which side wins.
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One deputy called out, "And the Constitution?" Napoleon replied, referring to earlier parliamentary coups, "The Constitution! You yourselves have destroyed it. You violated it on 18 Fructidor; you violated it on 22 Floreal; you violated it on 30 Prairial. It no longer has the respect of anyone."
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