When Lawmakers Resort to Legal Time Capsules The Trump administration's decision to revive prize law, a centuries old set of rules governing naval warfare, aims to bolster its blockade of Iran and recoup costs from the ongoing conflict.
Prize law has its roots in medieval maritime law, where it allowed belligerent powers to seize enemy vessels without having to prove specific statutory violations.
The US government's use of prize law is not unprecedented; President Abraham Lincoln invoked similar laws during the Civil War, using the Prize Act of 1812 to blockade Confederate seaports.