lawfare

1. (informal) The bringing of legal proceedings against an opponent, often only to attack, harass, or intimidate.Examples: "[…] Watch […] proceeded to the door, which he tried, and there discovered that that official had not only taken his parole d'honneur [word of honour; promise], but had adopted the additional security of turning the key; and knowing that circumstance had vacated the pre-existent treaty between them, by all the rules of civilised nations, whether in lawfare or warfare, he proceeded at once to the window; whereform, the ostler having brought him, by pre-arrangement, a ladder, he descended in safety to the yard; […]"; "The canton is clearly reduced, but not to the status of a mere private corporation. It stil is a state with standing in cort to wage some lawfare for itself and for its folk."; "And we hear that the construction unions now are bitter over the environmentalists' dragging construction projects into the courts, delaying them for years. "Lawfare" the hard hats call this."informaluncountable