Chief Justice of High Court opens law internet conference

26 November 2003

The Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Murray Gleeson, and the Chief Justice of NSW, Jim Spigelman, are among speakers at this week's Law via the Internet conference, hosted by the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII).

Justice Gleeson will launch a database which, for the first time, contains every decision handed down by the High Court since its inception in 1903. The judgements will be available free on AustLII's website.

Justice Spigelman will discuss the role of internet publication of court decisions in promoting open justice.

Law via the Internet 2003 runs from 27-28 November and features more than 40 papers by experts from 12 countries. Session topics include global access to law, court computerisation and legal knowledge management, technical issues in improving the quality of case law and legislation, and the social and educational impacts of law on the internet.

"The conference will help to advance free access to law across the globe," said AustLII co-director, UNSW Law Professor Graham Greenleaf. "AustLII is also today [Wednesday] hosting the annual international meeting of university-based legal information institutes from around the world."

AustLII provides free online access to Australian legal materials and is a joint project of the law faculties at UNSW and UTS.

A full conference program is available at the AustLII website.

What: Law via the Internet 2003 international conference

When: Thursday 27 November - Friday 28 November 2003
* Chief Justice opens conference and launches database at 9am

Where: UTS, Haymarket campus, Quay Street

For more information: Professor Greenleaf ph 9385 2233 mob 0405 081 754
Media contact: Denise Knight UNSW Media Office ph 9385 3192 mob 0405 207 685