pettifogging
the use by a lawyer or lawyers of methods that may deceive people :
The Order is an example of legal pettifoggery at its worst.
I have never seen such outrageous pettifoggery in a courtroom.
The discussion should not be reduced to pettifoggery.
The bill is a masterpiece of political pettifoggery.
A new law was drafted, instituting all manner of procedural pettifoggery.
The Court is using pettifoggery by stretching the meaning of the Treaty.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Of little or less importance
be in/under someone's shadowidiom
be neither here nor thereidiom
big deal
biggie
derisory
marginal
meaningless
meaninglessly
meaninglessness
mere
picture
piddling
piddly
piffling
play second fiddleidiom
unserious
unseriousness
venial
vestigial
vestigially

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Wanting everything to be right
Court cases, orders & decisions