The Venus, Rae, Master was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that when a ship is sold abroad and then brought back to its original port of registry, it must be re-registered under the laws of that country. The ruling established an important precedent for international maritime law by establishing clear rules regarding how vessels should be registered after being sold overseas. In this particular case, the vessel had been purchased by British citizens while docked in France and sailed back to America without proper registration or documentation. The US Supreme Court held that since the vessel had not been properly documented upon its return to American waters, it could not legally claim any rights as an American vessel until it was properly registered according to US laws. This decision set forth important principles concerning international trade and commerce on waterborne vessels which remain relevant today.

In The Venus, Rae, Master case of 1814, the Supreme Court issued a dissenting opinion. Justice Joseph Story argued that the court should have considered whether or not there was sufficient evidence to prove that the vessel in question had been captured by an enemy during wartime. He believed that if it could be proven beyond reasonable doubt that such capture had occurred then the ship and its cargo would become subject to prize law and thus belong to those who took possession of it at sea. Furthermore, he argued against allowing claimants from foreign nations to bring their claims before U.S courts as this would create a conflict with international treaties which forbid such actions without prior consent from both parties involved in said treaty. Finally, he concluded his dissent by stating that even though some may disagree with him on these points they must still respect his right to express them as part of due process under American law.