Fishing expedition

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A fishing expedition is an informal, negative phrase for searching for information in a broad, unfocused way, often by police. It suggests trying to find incriminating material even if there isn’t a clear target. In the UK, media have described actions against people like Abu Hamza al-Masri, Yaser al-Sirri, Jim Davidson, and the late Edward Heath as fishing expeditions. Heath’s supporters said Wiltshire Police’s costly investigation, led by Chief Constable Mike Veale, spent about £1.5 million and found no convincing evidence of abuse.

In pre-trial law, a fishing expedition can mean a wide, aimless demand for all documents related to a case. In the United States, discovery is allowed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(1): parties may obtain non-privileged information that is relevant and reasonably likely to lead to admissible evidence. Because “relevant” can be broad, courts often require extensive disclosure. But there are limits: a subpoena must not be so broad or burdensome that it disrupts a business. If producing almost all records would halt normal operations, the subpoena is invalid. The term also describes vague or overly broad subpoenas.

In science, calling something a fishing expedition means applying a general idea too loosely, moving from weak observations to a theory, which can be seen as unproductive.