Restraints of Princes Law and Legal Definition
Restraints of princes is a clause in a marine insurance policy extending the coverage to loss by an exercise of the sovereign or governmental power controlling and divesting the dominion or authority of the owner over the ship.
Restraint of princes means the operation of the sovereign power by an exercise of vis major, in its sovereign capacity, controlling and divesting for the time, the dominion or authority of the owner over the ship and, in marine and war risk policies, restraint of princes applies only to acts done in the exercise of the sovereign power. [Baker Castor Oil Co. v. Insurance Co. of N. A., 157 F.2d 3 (2d Cir. N.Y. 1946)].
