lawfare

English

Etymology

Blend of law +‎ warfare

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɔːfɛə(ɹ)/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

Noun

lawfare (uncountable)

1. The use of the judicial system against one's opponents, often only to attack or condemn a rival.
   • 2014 July 17, Glenn Reynolds, quoting Kurt Schlichter, "Conservative Insurgency", Instapundit‎^[1], retrieved 2014-08-02:

     We started calling it “conservative lawfare”, and it drove the progressives nuts.

   • 2020 June 18, Lisa Cox, quoting Sussan Ley, “Claims major projects are being delayed by environmental 'lawfare' dismissed in new research”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Earlier this year the environment minister, Sussan Ley, said the “lawfare that is such a part of today’s environmental landscape can be crippling to ­business as well as to environmental organisations”.

See also

• libel chill
• SLAPP