Simple English definitions for legal terms
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The "Marque, Law of" is an old rule that allowed someone who was wronged and couldn't get justice to take the wrongdoer's things as payment for the harm done. This was called a "reprisal." "Letters of Marque" were like permission slips that let someone attack people or ships from another country as a way of getting revenge. Only the government can give out these permission slips, but they haven't done it for a long time. This used to be more common a long time ago when countries didn't always get along and people had to take matters into their own hands.
Definition: The Marque, Law of is an old law that allowed a person who has been wronged and cannot get justice through normal means to take the goods of the wrongdoer as compensation for the harm done. This law is also known as Letters of Marque.
Letters of Marque: This is a license that allows a private citizen to take revenge against citizens or vessels of another nation. The license authorizes the person to engage in reprisals against the wrongdoer. Congress has the power to grant Letters of Marque, but it has not done so since the 19th century.
For example, in the past, if a person was wronged by someone from another country and could not get justice, they could get a license called Letters of Marque. This license would allow them to take revenge against the wrongdoer by taking their goods. This was a way for people to get justice when normal means failed.