Abstract
Due to the lack of empirical knowledge in the law, it is not possible to produce either legal expert systems or legal knowledge systems. Jurimetrics, the scientific studying of the law, may in the long term change this situation. Until then, the best alternative is the production of computerized legal advice systems. Such a system would advise its users about a specific legal subject on the basis of legal practice.
These systems have been developed by the Workshop for Computer Science and Law at Erasmus University as part of the JURICAS project. While responsibility remains with the user, it is ensured that all relevant criteria are examined. Each advice system is targeted at a particular sort of user, e.g. a judge or public prosecutor. It is also an ideal means for a legal author of a JURICAS system to convey his opinions. The JURICAS “Advice System Shell” has been made generally available and therefore it is now possible for Dutch lawyers to design their own advice systems.
Not only lawyers are using JURICAS, however. Policymakers and managers also showed interest in the JURICAS shell. So what was designed as a legal advice system is now an advice system for the implementation of rules in general.
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Notes
R. Susskind, Expert systems in law: a jurisprudential inquiry, Oxford, 1987.
There is some literature, however, in which methods have been developed for the prediction of verdicts from the facts of the case. See F. Kort, A special and a general multivariate theory of judicial decisions, Beverly Hills, 1976 and S.S. Nagel, “Case prediction by staircase tables and percentaging”, Jurimetrics Journal, 1985, p. 168.
C.f. O.W. Holmes, The path of law, [j 1920].
See H. Hyden, “Sociology of law in Scandinavia”, Journal of Law and Society, 1986, p. 131.
See L. Loevinger, “Jurimetrics: the next step forward”, Minnesota Law Review, April 1949, p. 455.
See R.V. De Mulder, Een model voor juridische informatica, Lelystad (Holland), 1984 (with a summary in English)
R.V. De Mulder, “A model for legal decision making by computer” in A.A. Martino, F. Socci Natali (eds), Automated analysis of legal texts, Logic, Informatics, Law, North-Holland, 1986. p. 581
R.V. De Mulder, “Juridische informatica: in de eerste plaats hulpmiddel bij de jurimetrie”, in P. van den Berg c.a. (eds), RI-paradigmata, Lelystad (Holland) 1988, p. 7 (with a summary in English).
H. Landreth, History of economic theory: scope, method, and context, Boston, 1976, p. 369.
See several publications in The Journal of Legal Studies and The Journal of Law and Economics.
I. Ehrlich, “Participation in illegitimate activities: a theoretical and an empirical investigation”, Journal of Political Economy, 1973, p. 521.
See H.O. Kerkmeester and C.J. van de Velde, “De ontwikkeling van juridische computeradviessystemen”, Computerrecht 1988/3, p.141.
See for a description of SENPRO the report: R.V. De Mulder, A. Oskamp, W. van der Heyden and H.M. Gubby, Sentencing by computer: an experiment, Oslo, 1982.
R.V. De Mulder and H.M. Gubby, “Legal Decision-making by Computer: an Experiment in Sentencing”, in: Computer Law Journal, Summer 1983
R.V. De Mulder and H.M. Gubby, “Sentencing by computer: A Step forward?”, in: Law/Technology, Vol. 17, 1984, No. 1, p. 13.
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De Mulder, R.V., van Noortwijk, C., Kerkmeester, H.O., van der Wees, J.G.L. (1990). Knowledge Systems and Law — The Juricas Project. In: Tjoa, A.M., Wagner, R. (eds) Database and Expert Systems Applications. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7553-8_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7553-8_18
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