Legal Research

Jersey, Law and Social Media

By Simon Chester

Though we frequently mention New Jersey, we haven’t mentioned the Channel Islands – and their unique local laws and language. The local BBC news on Jersey mentions today that the Jersey Legal Information site was according to the BBC designed by Richard Susskind and that Richard is leading a conference on the use of social media within law, and how social media might enhance a legal information institute portal.

The event will look at using social media such as Twitter and Facebook to provide legal information for lawyers and citizens alike.

Richard notes that smaller jurisdictions may be nimbler in innovation than larger:

“An online legal community. It’s early days for that, but I think you could do that in Jersey in ways that actually larger jurisdictions might find more formidable.”

Jersey has an interesting formal statement of legal information strategy:

The Vision

To see Jersey?s legal system recognised as the global best for a small jurisdiction.
The Strategy

The Jersey Legal Information Board (JLIB) has created a strategy setting the direction of Jersey’s Legal Information Systems for the next five years. In order to achieve its vision, the approach of the Board is a progressive and forward-looking one, exploiting emerging technologies. However, the Board will be sensitive to the way in which Jersey’s legal processes have developed in the light of the Island’s unique historical and social status.
Elements of the Strategy:

* To make the law and legal processes more accessible to the public

* To develop an integrated legal system

* To strengthen Jersey’s position as a leading business centre

The website includes all Laws in Force and Revised Laws, the Jersey Law Reports (as well as the Jersey Judgments from 1978), the Unreported Judgments of the Jersey courts from 1997 to date, and Practice Directions of the Royal Court. You will also find the current version of the Royal Court Rules 2004, the Jersey and Guernsey Law Review and a student section. Some Norman customary law and civil law texts are available, and the organisers hope that the on-line library of text-books and authorities relevant to the law of Jersey will be greatly expanded in future.

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on September 13, 2010 (boomark / email).