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Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law)

Official registry Data and databases

Dutch case law over MCP: search & fetch uitspraken by ECLI (Rechtspraak Open Data + LiDO)

Source code Documentation

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

NPM package rechtspraak-mcp
Claude Code 
claude mcp add rechtspraak-dutch-case-law -- npx -y rechtspraak-mcp@0.1.1
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "rechtspraak-dutch-case-law": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "rechtspraak-mcp@0.1.1"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

Contents
  1. rechtspraak-mcp
  2. Tools
  3. Search
  4. Install in an MCP client
  5. Citations & source links
  6. Configuration
  7. Development
  8. Data sources & disclaimer
  9. License

rechtspraak-mcp

A Model Context Protocol server for Dutch case law (jurisprudentie / uitspraken). It wraps the official Open Data van de Rechtspraak API and the LiDO citation graph, so any MCP-capable agent (Claude, Cursor, …) can search rulings, fetch full text by ECLI, and explore how decisions cite each other.

No API key required.

npx rechtspraak-mcp

Tools

ToolWhat it does
search_uitsprakenSearch case law (faceted by default; full-text behind a flag). Returns ECLIs + links.
search_uitspraken_bulkRun 3–10 searches at once.
get_uitspraakFetch full text + metadata + relations of one decision by ECLI.
get_uitspraken_bulkFetch up to 10 decisions by ECLI in one call.
list_waardelijstenList value lists (instanties, rechtsgebieden, proceduresoorten, …) to build valid filters.
lido_relatedLiDO citation graph around an ECLI: what cites it, what it cites, statute references.

search_uitspraken is a faceted search over the official Open Data feed — filter by date, court (instantie), legal area (rechtsgebied) and document type. It does not do free-text keyword matching; pass an ECLI to query for a direct lookup, or use the facet filters. get_uitspraak fetches the full text and metadata from the documented Open Data content endpoint.

Install in an MCP client

Claude Code (or any client reading claude_desktop_config.json / .mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rechtspraak": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "rechtspraak-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
claude mcp add rechtspraak -- npx -y rechtspraak-mcp

Every result carries links for its ECLI:

  • links.deeplink — the citation-stable deeplink.rechtspraak.nl URL,
  • links.rechtspraak — the human detail page,
  • links.prudai — a PrudAI viewer for the ruling.

When an agent quotes a passage, the tools instruct it to render the citation as a Markdown source link anchored on the exact excerpt:

[Zie bron](https://prudai.com/uitspraak/ECLI:NL:HR:2023:1234?quote=%22<verbatim quote>%22)

Configuration

Env varDefaultDescription
RECHTSPRAAK_HTTP_TIMEOUT_MS30000Upstream request timeout.
RECHTSPRAAK_BULK_CONCURRENCY4Concurrency for bulk tools.
PRUDAI_BASE_URLhttps://prudai.comBase URL for the viewer deeplinks.
RECHTSPRAAK_USER_AGENTrechtspraak-mcp/…User-Agent sent upstream.
LIDO_REST_ENDPOINTKOOP defaultOverride the LiDO service endpoint.
RECHTSPRAAK_DEBUG01 logs upstream requests to stderr.

Development

bun install
bun run typecheck
bun test
bun run build      # → dist/ (Node-runnable, shebang bundle)
bun src/index.ts   # run from source

Data sources & disclaimer

Case-law data is © Rechtspraak and published as Open Data via data.rechtspraak.nl; citation-graph data comes from KOOP's LiDO service (linkeddata.overheid.nl). This project is an independent open-source client and is not affiliated with or endorsed by de Rechtspraak or KOOP. Always verify against the authoritative source before relying on a result.

License

MIT © PrudAI. Maintained by PrudAI.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law)?

Dutch case law over MCP: search & fetch uitspraken by ECLI (Rechtspraak Open Data + LiDO)

How do I install Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law)?

It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add rechtspraak-dutch-case-law -- npx -y rechtspraak-mcp@0.1.1. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law) need an API key?

Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.

Is Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law) open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains Rechtspraak (Dutch Case Law)?

It is published by Prudai. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.