Reprisals as a Measure of Redress Short of War

S. Maccoby

doi:10.1017/S0008197300106026

Reprisals as a Measure of Redress Short of War

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 January 2009

S. Maccoby

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‘Reprisals’ is a mediaeval term which is first met with in the thirteenth century. Lawyers, who wrote in Latin, knew it as repraesaliae or repressaliae an almost exact rendering of the French représailles and the Italian ripresaglie. They tried hard to identify the usages it represented with practices they knew in the civil law. Especially did they try to identify it with the Roman pigneratio. It was not till the early eighteenth century that the essential uniqueness of reprisals was categorically asserted by Bynkershoek in such forceful terms as “operam ludunt qui rem apud Romanos incognitam Latino vocabulo conantur exprimere.”

Type: Research Article
Information: The Cambridge Law Journal , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , March 1924 , pp. 60 - 73

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008197300106026 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge Law Journal and Contributors 1926

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^{page 60 note 1} The word “reprisals” is always found in close connexion with the Low Latin marca throughout the mediaeval period. Mediaeval kings speak in the fourteenth century of granting letters of mark and reprisals. Marca and marcare, however, occur already in the twelfth century. See Ducange under “Marca.”

^{page 60 note 2} The Council of Paris said in 1314: “Pignerationes quas vulgaris elocutio repraesalias nominat.” Ayala says: “Pignerationes hae, quas repraesalias vocant.” De Jure et Officiis Bellicis, lib. 1, c. iv.

^{page 60 note 3} Lib. 1, tit. 8.

^{page 61 note 4} In Martenius, tome 7, Ampliss Collect., quoted by Ducange.

^{page 61 note 5} Lib. iii. o. 2, De Jure Belli et Pacis.

^{page 61 note 6} Moore's Digest, vol. 7, p. 131, quoting Ward's Law of Nations.

^{page 62 note 7} Philip the Fair's decree (1313), quoted in De Martens' Essai concernant les Armateurs, is typical: “Ut de requisiti in reddenda justitia defectu constet illi qui marcham indicere voluerit per literas regias vel alia publica instrumenta antequam ad dictam marcham procedat.”

^{page 62 note 8} Rymer, Foedera, vol. 2, p. 691.

^{page 62 note 9} Statutes of the Realm, printed by command 1816, vol. 1, p. 333.

^{page 62 note 1} See opening paragraph of stat. Hen. V, 4, o. 7. op. cit. vol. ii. p. 198.

^{page 62 note 2} Statutes of Realm in op. cit. vol. ii. p. 178 ff.

^{page 62 note 3} See opening paragraph of stat. Hen. V, 4, c. 7.

^{page 63 note 4} Stat. Hen. V, 4, c. 7: “Et a la greindre consolation de ses ditz foialx lieges au fyn qu'ils pourront pluis prestement et sanz longes delaies avoir remede en ces cas voet mesme nostre seigneur le Roi que cellui ou ceux qui se sentira ou sentiront grevez encountre le teneur et fourme de tielles trieues dedans le roialme d'Engleterre ou sur le meer ou es parties pardela compleindra ou compleindront au gardien du prive seal qi pur le temps serra qui tiel compleint oiee et entendue entferra pur la partie compleignante lettres de request soutz le prive seal en due fourme. Et si apres tiel request faite la partie requise ne ferra dedeins temps convenable due restitution ou satisfaction a la partie grevee adonques la chancellor d'Engleterre fera faire a tiel partie grevee si le voet demander lettres de marques desoutz le grande seal en due fourme.”

^{page 63 note 5} E.g. Treaty between Spain and Scotland, 1550, quoted in the text; treaty between Spain and France, 1489.

^{page 63 note 6} Dumont, Traités, tome 4, partie 2, p. 12.

^{page 63 note 7} France and United Provinces, 1739, Art. 33; France and Denmark, 1742, Art. 44.

^{page 63 note 8} E.g. Grotius, lib. iii. c. 2, De Jure Belli et Pacis: “Jus denegatur … verum etiam si in re minime dubia (nam in dubia re praesumptio est pro his qui ad judicia publice electi sunt) plane contra jus judicatum sit.” Bynkershoek, c. 24, “De Eepressaliis”: “Ne quis autem temere de justitia denegata conqueratur variis gentium pactia prospectum est,” quoting Hispans. Dutch Treaty, 1648, and French-Dutch Treaty, 1662.

^{page 64 note 9} His work is entitled De Bello, de Represaliis et de Duello. See especially cc. cliii-clviii. Holland has an excellent edition issued by the Carnegie Endowment.

^{page 65 note 1} Quaestiones Juris Publici, c. 24, “De Eepressaliis.”

^{page 65 note 2} Especially treaties between England and States General, 1654, Art. 16 (though Art. 24 mentions reprisals), and between Morocco and the States General, 1710, Art. 9.

^{page 66 note 3} Villemain, Histoire de Cromwell, vol. ii. p. 236.

^{page 66 note 4} All the documents are given in full in De Martens' Causes Célébres du Droit des Gens.

^{page 66 note 5} De Martens, Essai conc. les Armateurs, quoting the Code des Prises.

^{page 67 note 6} Paragraphs 346, 347, Droit des Gens.

^{page 67 note 7} In his text-book on International Law.

^{page 67 note 8} The policy adopted by France against Germany of the seizure of “ productive pledges ” in the Rhineland and the Ruhr must in its total aspect be regarded as a case of reprisal, though the French use of the term ” sanction ” and their claim to be acting under the Treaty of Versailles have veiled that fact. The matter cannot profitably be discussed here, owing to its intimate connexion with current international politics.

^{page 68 note 9} Annual Register, 1922; also The Times from July 13th onwards to the middle of August.

^{page 68 note 1} Daily Chronicle, July 17th, 1923, message from Cologne correspondent.

^{page 68 note 2} Annual Register, 1908, under Holland and Venezuela.

^{page 69 note 3} E.g. Calvo and Despagnet.

^{page 69 note 4} In 1834 President Jackson had recommended reprisals against France on account of the reluctance of the French Chambers to vote an appropriation for the settlement of American claims. The French Government replied by withdrawing its Ambassador. Serious results might have followed but for the pacific inclinations of the French Government and the tactful mediation of the British Government: Moore's Digest, vol. 7, pp. 123–126.

^{page 69 note 5} During an Athens riot in 1847 the house of Don Pacifico, a Gibraltar Jew and a British subject, was plundered. Instead of going to a Greek Court for redress in the first instance, he appealed to the British Government, which, after long negotiations, ordered a ‘powerful squadron into Greek waters’, with instructions to seize Greek vessels leaving Greek ports. These were to be held until justice had been done Pacifico. The Greek Government was compelled to accept the British terms, though it held that Pacifico had much over-estimated his losses: State Papers, 1850, pp. 332–932.

^{page 70 note 6} See Annual Register, 1884, under “China.”

^{page 70 note 7} Westlake, Collected Papers, pp. 590–606.

^{page 71 note 8} See Pollock's League of Nations (2nd ed.).

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