Fishing expedition
A fishing expedition is a broad and speculative search for evidence or information in legal proceedings without concrete indications or reasonable grounds.
In legal proceedings, the term "fishing expedition" refers to an unfounded and overly broad request for documents or witness statements, typically made during the discovery phase or in connection with evidentiary applications, with the aim of identifying information that might support a claim.
The term originates in Anglo-American law but is also used in Dutch and international proceedings to reject excessive or vague requests. Courts may refuse such requests in order to prevent abuse of process and to avoid unnecessary delay or costs.
In practice, it is important to ground requests for evidence in specific facts, so that they are not characterised as fishing expeditions and are permitted.
“The court dismissed the plaintiff's application because it amounted to a fishing expedition without any concrete indication.”
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