Prize law, maritime neutrality, and the law of nations in imperial Russia, 1768-1856
My thesis examines the development and use of prize law - an aspect of the law of nations which sanctioned the legal capture of ships and their cargo by warring nations - by the Russian Empire from the 1760s to the 1850s. Russia's development of this legal concept as a method of control over the Baltic and Black Seas seems puzzling. Traditional narratives portray Russia as a land-based empire with military strength, but few of the liberal values that should accompany the notions of due process and justice implicit in the institution of a prize court. However, my dissertation argues that legal rhetoric played an important part in Russia's interactions with other empires. And while the period in question was a crucial one for Russian legal development, culminating in an unprecedented codification project, international legal history - and prize law in particular - remain underdeveloped themes in Russian historiography.
Leikin, J.
Prize law, maritime neutrality, and the law of nations in imperial Russia, 1768-1856. My thesis examines the development and use of prize law - an aspect of the law of nations which sanctioned the legal capture of ships and their cargo by warring nations - by the Russian Empire from the 1760s to the 1850s. Russia's development of this legal concept as a method of control over the Baltic and Black Seas seems puzzling. Traditional narratives portray Russia as a land-based empire with military strength, but few of the liberal values that should accompany the notions of due process and justice implicit in the institution of a prize court. However, my dissertation argues that legal rhetoric played an important part in Russia's interactions with other empires. And while the period in question was a crucial one for Russian legal development, culminating in an unprecedented codification project, international legal history - and prize law in particular - remain underdeveloped themes in Russian historiography.
prize law maritime neutrality law nation imperial russia examines_development use prize law aspect law nation sanction legal capture ship cargo war nation russian_empire russia development legal concept method control baltic black seem puzzling traditional_narrative portray russia land_based empire military strength liberal value accompany notion due process justice implicit institution prize court however_argue legal rhetoric play_important part russia interaction empire period question crucial russian legal development culminate unprecedented codification project international legal_history prize law particular remain underdeveloped theme russian historiography