Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

It is not hard to imagine that the use of computers will increasingly impact on the ways in which legal and dispute resolution services are provided. Many will resist such developments, not least because they will threaten existing ways of workings with which people are familiar.

But those thinking about how the world of legal practice will develop over the short to medium term should be aware of what is happening and how developments may affect the future, not just in England of course, but universally.

In this context, those starting their legal studies should be aware of the Society for Computers and Law.

The Society’s website explains that it was established in 1973 “to promote the use and understanding of information technology (IT) in the context of the law”. For the first twenty years of its existence it focused more on the technical aspects of IT in use to support legal practices. Since then its focus has shifted more to the practice of IT law as a specialist subject as this has evolved to encompass new issues like the world wide web and digital media.

As a charity, the objects of the Society are

(1) The advancement of education of the public in the fields of: a. information technology law and other related legal subjects; b. information technology as applied to the practice of the law; and c. the law, by the use of information technology.

(2) The promotion of the sound development, administration and knowledge of the law relating to information technology and related legal subjects, both generally and by research and study concerning the same.

The issues which are currently at the forefront of their efforts at the start of the 21st century include:

Operational effectiveness: ranging from the choice of hardware and operating systems through to software selection and development for both lawyers and support teams.

Legal matters: such as data protection, computer contracts and software ownership.

The administration of justice: the impact of IT on the Courts.

Education: promoting the benefits at all levels that the use of information technology has to the legal profession as a whole.

The Society is currently engaged in an important exercise to promote the development of TechLaw in the legal curriculum.

Further information is available at the Society’s website at https://www.scl.org/society