Citations API

POST/api/rechtspraak

Query Dutch case law (Rechtspraak) citation networks directly from PostgreSQL (`rs_document`, `rs_edge`, `rs_document_text`). Same response envelope as `/api/network` — the frontend graph code targets either with minimal branching — with extra filters unlocked by the migrated schema (typed appeal relations, publication-date windows, opendata status, BWB-resource and journal-abbr lookups). All parameters are wrapped inside an `arguments` object in the request body.

Request parameters (inside `arguments`)

Field	Type	Notes
`degreesSource`	int	Required. 0 to 5. Levels to traverse incoming citations (cited_by).
`degreesTarget`	int	Required. 0 to 5. Levels to traverse outgoing citations (cites).
`eclis`	string[]	Optional. ECLI identifiers. When supplied alone, the endpoint uses an ECLI fast path that bypasses the full builder.
`keywords`	string[]	Optional. Full-text terms; searches the summary and the `fulltext_tsv` GIN index. Multi-word entries use `phraseto_tsquery`.
`articles`	string	Optional. Article reference query string; matched against summary, `legal_provisions`, and fulltext.
`selectedLaws`	string[]	Optional. Law items in format `"BWBx123\|456"` (bwb_id\|bwb_label_id). Resolved to an ECLI whitelist via LIDO.
`selectedLawsIntersect`	boolean	Optional. If true, require all selected laws (AND). Default: false (OR).
`docTypes`	string[]	Optional. `"DEC"` (Uitspraak) and/or `"OPI"` (Conclusie).
`instances`	string[]	Optional. Court instances (e.g. `"Hoge Raad"`, `"Raad van State"`).
`domains`	string[]	Optional. Domain labels. Matched against the `domains` TEXT[] column via `&&` overlap (GIN-friendly).
`procedureTypes`	string[]	Optional. `rs_document.procedure_type` (e.g. `"Cassatie"`, `"Hoger beroep"`).
`languages`	string[]	Optional. `rs_document.language` (e.g. `"nl"`).
`jurisdictionCountries`	string[]	Optional. `rs_document.jurisdiction_country`.
`zaaknummers`	string[]	Optional. Docket numbers; substring-matched against `rs_document.zaaknummer`.
`bwbResources`	string[]	Optional. Filter via `rs_document_law_reference.bwb_resource`.
`journalAbbrs`	string[]	Optional. Journal abbreviations (e.g. `"NJ"`, `"AB"`); filter via `rs_document_publication`.
`relationTypes`	string[]	Optional. Restrict edges to these `rs_edge.relation_type` values (e.g. `"cassatie"`, `"hogerBeroep"`).
`edgeSources`	string[]	Optional. Restrict edges to these `rs_edge.source` tags (e.g. `"body-cite"`, `"formal-relation"`, `"replaces"`).
`includeDepublicated`	string	Optional. `"public"` (default), `"depublicated"`, or `"all"`. Filters on `rs_document.opendata_status`.
`dateStart`	string	Optional. `YYYY-MM-DD`. Lower bound on `date_decision`. Defaults to `1900-01-01`.
`dateEnd`	string	Optional. `YYYY-MM-DD`. Upper bound on `date_decision`. Must not be in the future.
`datePublishedStart`	string	Optional. `YYYY-MM-DD`. Lower bound on `rs_document.date_published`.
`datePublishedEnd`	string	Optional. `YYYY-MM-DD`. Upper bound on `rs_document.date_published`.
`attributesToFetch`	string	Optional. `"ALL"`, `"ID"`, `"MINIMAL"`, `"NETWORKSTATS"`, `"QUERYHANDLER"`, `"KEYWORDSEARCH"`, `"ARTICLESEARCH"`.
`onlyCaseIds`	boolean	Optional. If true, return only ECLI identifiers without full case data.
`isSubgraph`	boolean	Optional. If true, only return edges between the supplied `eclis`.
`pageSize`	int	Optional. 1 to 1000 when cursor pagination is requested.
`cursor`	string	Optional. Opaque cursor token from a previous response.
`engine` / `dataSources`	any	Optional. Accepted as no-ops for compatibility with `/api/network` request bodies. The endpoint always reads from `rs_*`.

Response node fields (`nodes[].data`)

Field	Description
`isResult`	`"True"` for direct search results, `"False"` for expanded citation nodes.
`ecli`	ECLI identifier.
`date_decision`	Decision date (ISO).
`date_published`	Publication date (ISO).
`date_issued` / `date_modified`	Issue / modification timestamps from the source XML.
`document_type`	`"Uitspraak"` or `"Conclusie"`.
`instance`	Court instance.
`domains`	Array of legal domain strings. Synthetic `"<top>-Algemeen/Overig/Niet-gelabeld"` leaves are rendered for parity with the legacy `/api/network` response.
`jurisdiction_country`	e.g. `"NL"`.
`procedure_type`	Procedure type (e.g. `"Cassatie"`).
`zaaknummer`	Docket number.
`summary`	Case summary text.
`legal_provisions`	Array of statute labels aggregated from `rs_v_document_legal_provisions` (mixes source-faithful `opschrift` values with canonical formal labels).
`vindplaatsen` / `subject_uris`	Publication metadata and subject taxonomy URIs from the source XML.
`opendata_status`	`"public"` or `"depublicated"`.
`cites`	Array of cited ECLI identifiers (from `rs_edge`).
`cited_by`	Array of ECLI identifiers citing this case (from `rs_edge`).
`url_publication`	Link to the original publication.

Response edge fields (`edges[]`)

Field	Description
`source` / `target`	Endpoint ECLIs.
`relation_type`	Optional typed-relation label (e.g. `"cassatie"`, `"hogerBeroep"`).
`edge_source`	Provenance: `"body-cite"`, `"formal-relation"`, or `"replaces"`.

Examples

Exact ECLI (fast path)

{
  "arguments": {
    "eclis": ["ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097"],
    "degreesSource": 0,
    "degreesTarget": 0
  }
}

Typed-edge filter

{
  "arguments": {
    "eclis": ["ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097"],
    "degreesSource": 1,
    "degreesTarget": 1,
    "relationTypes": ["cassatie", "hogerBeroep"],
    "edgeSources": ["formal-relation"]
  }
}

Publication-date window + BWB filter

{
  "arguments": {
    "bwbResources": ["BWBR0001840"],
    "datePublishedStart": "2020-01-01",
    "datePublishedEnd": "2020-12-31",
    "docTypes": ["DEC"],
    "degreesSource": 0,
    "degreesTarget": 0,
    "pageSize": 50
  }
}

Response

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
      "data": {
        "isResult": "True",
        "ecli": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
        "date_decision": "2020-06-23",
        "date_published": "2020-06-23",
        "document_type": "Uitspraak",
        "instance": "Hoge Raad",
        "domains": ["Strafrecht", "Strafrecht-Algemeen/Overig/Niet-gelabeld"],
        "jurisdiction_country": "NL",
        "procedure_type": "Cassatie",
        "opendata_status": "public",
        "cites": ["ECLI:NL:HR:2018:..."],
        "cited_by": ["ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2021:..."],
        "url_publication": "https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/..."
      }
    }
  ],
  "edges": [
    {
      "id": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097_ECLI:NL:HR:2018:...",
      "source": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
      "target": "ECLI:NL:HR:2018:...",
      "relation_type": "cassatie",
      "edge_source": "formal-relation"
    }
  ],
  "message": "",
  "limits": {
    "queryResultLimit": 10000,
    "responseNodeLimit": 5000,
    "responseEdgeLimit": 30000,
    "pageSizeDefault": 1000,
    "pageSizeMax": 1000
  },
  "graph": {
    "paginationRequested": false,
    "graphComplete": true,
    "statisticsSafe": true,
    "partialReasons": []
  }
}

POST/api/rechtspraak/text

Fetch full-text Rechtspraak judgments by ECLI from the migrated PostgreSQL `rs_document_text` table. Sibling of `/api/network/text` but reads from Postgres instead of Elasticsearch. Supports single or batch retrieval. Use JSON body.

Parameters

Field	Type	Notes
`ecli`	string \| string[]	Required. String or array in JSON body. Max 200 ECLIs per request.

Response fields

Field	Description
`ecli`	The requested ECLI identifier.
`full_text`	Complete judgment text from `rs_document_text.fulltext`. May be `null` when no text is stored.
`full_text_available`	Boolean flag indicating whether full text is present.

Single ECLI returns one object; multiple ECLIs return an array of objects. ECLIs without an rs_document row are silently dropped from the array response (single-ECLI form returns 404).
When full_text is null, the entry also includes a message field explaining the absence.

Examples

POST (single)

{
  "ecli": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097"
}

POST (batch)

{
  "ecli": [
    "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
    "ECLI:NL:PHR:2020:739"
  ]
}

Response (single)

{
  "ecli": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
  "full_text": "HOGE RAAD DER NEDERLANDEN\nSTRAFKAMER\n...",
  "full_text_available": true
}

Response (no text)

{
  "ecli": "ECLI:NL:HR:2020:1097",
  "full_text": null,
  "full_text_available": false,
  "message": "Full text not available for this ECLI."
}

Request parameters (inside arguments)

Response node fields (nodes[].data)

Response edge fields (edges[])

Examples

Parameters

Response fields

Examples

Request parameters (inside `arguments`)

Response node fields (`nodes[].data`)

Response edge fields (`edges[]`)