"Your argument appears to be that the reason they happened was that the laww book says they had to - where is your evidence for anybody ever claiming this?"

The Treason Act as in force at that time:

1: They had colluded with the enemy in time of war
2: They had taken up arms against the Crown in time of War
3: "Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and supported by her exiled children in America and BY GALLANT ALLIES IN EUROPE [GERMANY], but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory."

The penalty for treason at the time was death - that sentence was not discretionary it was MANDATORY - Do you know what that means???

The bit about "kangaroo courts" didn't come from Wiki did it Jom - your opinion - NOT FACT.

Those who signed the Proclamation were undoubtedly guilty of Treason, Sir Roger Casement was undoubtedly guilty of Treason and they suffered the penalty required by law for that crime.

As for the "she strikes in full confidence of victory." - now that was a downright lie wasn't it Jom as those making that declaration had already sent out the orders for the IRB and IVF throughout Ireland to stand down, thereby condemning the Rising to certain defeat and failure.