open the floodgates
A metaphor used by jurists to reflect the fear of opening up one area of law to a flood of litigation. Such an opening can easily be created either by statute or by case law and judges often express their fear of “opening the floodgates,”—that is, to claims in law “undeterminant in amount, time and class” (Ultramarine Corp. v Touche 174 NE 441 (NY 1931) per Cardozo J at 444).

• referral order
• reform
• Reform Treaty
• refresher
• refreshing memory
• refugee
• refuse disposal
• regent
• register
• registered company
• registered design
• registered land
• registered office
• Register of Companies
• register of members
• registrable disposition
• registrar
• registration as citizen or subject
• registration of a company
• registration of birth
• registration of commons
• registration of death
• registration of encumbrances
• registration of marriage
• registration of merchant ships