Legal Term: RETORSION

Definition: war. The name of the act employed by a government to impose the same hard treatment on the citizens or subjects of a state, that the latter has used towards the citizens or subjects of the former, for the purpose of obtaining the removal of obnoxious measures. Vattel, liv. 2, c. 18, §341; De Martens, Precis, liv. 8, c. 2, §254; Kluber, Droit dos Gens, s. 2 c. 1, §234; Mann. Comm. 105.

2. Retorsion signifies also the act by which an individual returns to his adversary evil for evil; as, if Peter call Paul thief, and Paul says you are a greater thief.

Return to the Legalnut.com Law Dictionary