What term describes using legal action as a means of coercion?

The term "threatening penal proceedings" describes the use of legal action as a means of coercion effectively. When a party threatens to initiate legal action, particularly of a penal nature, it is often intended to influence or pressure another party into acting or refraining from acting in a certain way. This could involve threatening criminal prosecution as a way to compel someone to comply with demands or to intimidate them into a particular course of action.

Using this term contextualizes the scenario where legal tools are leveraged not just for their intended purposes but rather as instruments of pressure, creating a form of coercion based on the fear of negative legal consequences.