expression, godan verb (-su)
the law has holes large enough for the most wicked men to slip through; the long arm of the law doesn't reach everywhere
Proverb meaning that laws or rules are not perfect and can fail to catch the worst offenders. Literally: 'a net lets the boat-swallowing fish escape.'
網呑舟の魚を漏らすというように、法律も完全ではない。
As the proverb goes, 'the net lets the boat-swallowing fish escape' — the law is not perfect either.
Standard kanji form for this proverb.
Variant using 吞 instead of 呑; both are acceptable.
A classical Chinese-derived proverb (from Shiji or similar texts). The literal image is of a net so coarse that a fish large enough to swallow a boat can slip through, metaphorically applied to the law's inability to catch the most powerful criminals.