Download files
Abstract
If we assume (a) the desirability of and the demand for a global free-access legal information system (LIS); (b) the
desirability of a non-government and non-profit provider; and (c) the severe financial constraints imposed on the
development of such a system by the free-access requirement, this dissertation asks (i) is such a goal technically
achievable and sustainable, to a satisfactory standard and within a realistic time-frame; (ii) if there are no
insurmountable obstacles, which model(s) of technical development are most appropriate; and (iii) what are the
principal technical impediments remaining?
The aim of this dissertation is to investigate and identify the technical and practical problems likely to be encountered
in developing a global web-based free-access LIS for research, and to identify solutions to those problems sufficient
to make the task achievable and sustainable within a free-access model. This dissertation does not focus on the
political and economic issues, assuming as givens both the desire for cooperation and minimal sustainable funding
despite severe funding constraints.
The approach adopted is to examine each of the key stages in developing such an LIS in light of the imposed
constraints. These include data collection, processing and markup, web publication, searching, interface and
language issues. While grounded in technical literature, this dissertation is informed by professional experience and
the practical lessons learnt in developing and maintaining the World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII) and other
multi-country legal information institutes (LIIs). It is also informed by the experiences of other free-access LIIs and
other providers from around the world.
A broad approach is needed so that the technical challenges in developing such an LIS as a whole can be
considered, while focusing on the key problems and their solutions. The result obtained from this examination and
the principal conclusion of the dissertation is that such a system is achievable and sustainable within the necessary
financial constraints, and that the model of technical development most likely to be successful is a decentralised
multi-layer network of national or multi-country LIIs of reasonable technical consistency (the 'hybrid distributed'
model). Some unresolved issues are identified but found not to be intractable. No such attempt to develop a global
solution has previously been attempted, nor such a solution previously advanced.