Discovery refused where documents relating to employee’s claims of bullying are not relevant to proceedings

High Court – lay litigant – discovery of ten categories of documents – motion for discovery – costs application in the defendant’s motion for discovery – author and publisher relationship – claim for loss of royalties and earning potential – relevance and necessity – proportionality – fishing expedition – confidential information not relevant to the issues – documents and records relating to contract negotiations – documents and records relating to correspondence between the defendant and the education consultant – no claim of bullying and harassment in pleadings – brief reference to insulting tone does not constitute a sufficient plea – plaintiff not entitled to documentary evidence that will assist her in making a case of bullying, harassment and misogynistic behaviour when no such claim is sufficiently made – documents the defendants have offered are sufficient – documentation sought required to determine percentage of sales and whether programmes were being used as a loss leader – no such case made in her pleadings – documentation sought in relation to late payment of royalties and errors in royalty statement is an inappropriate fishing expedition – documents offered are sufficient – documents offered are sufficient to enable the plaintiff to make the case in relation to the defendant’s failure to ensure international sales of her work – documents and records pertaining to any and all settlements by the defendant of workplace harassment and bullying of female employees – no relevant plea – would be a departure from normal practice to require discovery of settlements arising from claims of workplace bullying and harassment – discovery in terms of the documentation the defendant agreed to furnish by letter – defendant entitled to the costs of the motion.