Once thought to be beyond the reach of the long arm of the law, former Presidents are increasingly being prosecuted and jailed for past misdeeds. This trend is not always a good thing. This expert analysis was recently published at The Conversation, a “network of not-for-profit media outlets”, and was written by Victor Menaldo, James D. Long and Morgan Wack:

At first glance, prosecuting current or past top officials accused of illegal conduct seems like an obvious decision for a democracy: Everyone should be held accountable and subject to the rule of law. But presidents and prime ministers aren’t just anyone.

They are chosen by a nation’s citizens or their parties to lead. They are often popular, sometimes revered. So judicial proceedings against them are inevitably perceived as political and become divisive. If the prosecution of past leaders is brought by a political rival, it can lead to a cycle of prosecutorial retaliation.

Read the full story analysis.