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How did the Law of 22 Prairial change the Revolutionary Tribunal?

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Eighteenth-century painted portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre wearing a brown striped coat, high collar, and white cravat, set against a plain background. — Maximilien Robespierre One of the leading figures of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre.

Promulgated on June 10, 1794, at the instigation of Maximilien Robespierre, the Law of 22 Prairial fundamentally altered the operations of the Revolutionary Tribunal by stripping away essential legal protections for the accused.

The law introduced the following changes to the tribunal's proceedings:
* Removal of Legal Counsel: Prisoners were forbidden from employing counsel for their defense.12
* Suppression of Evidence: The hearing of witnesses was suppressed.1
* Limited Verdicts: Juries were restricted to only two possible outcomes: acquittal or death.23
* Mandatory Sentencing: Death was established as the sole penalty for those convicted.1

These measures transformed the tribunal into an instrument of the "Great Terror." In the 49 days between the law's passage and the fall of Robespierre, the tribunal condemned 1,376 people to death, a significant increase in the rate of executions compared to the previous 13 months.13