The Jersey Legal Information Board (JLIB) has been
outlining an enhanced strategy for making improvements in communications and
the use of technology for Jersey's legal community. A comprehensive strategy
was originally launched in November 1999, which was to set the direction for
Jersey's legal information systems for the ensuing five years. The JLIB said
at the time: 'The Board's key aim is to ensure that Jersey's legal system is
recognised as a world leader for a small jurisdiction and provides a unique
link between the Courts, the community and businesses both within the Island
and internationally.'
Chairman of the JLIB, Sir Philip Bailhache, is
leading a campaign to bring the latest in technological innovation and professional
expertise to Jersey’s legal community. It will be a three-pronged approach,
looking at the use of technology in the legal process; the availability of briefings
to legal firms on the work of JLIB and the tools it provides them for their
daily practice, and developing visits from experts on current issues affecting
the legal community.
Some of the projects that are being implemented
as part of the new strategy are putting Jersey Law Reports on line, a complete
revision of Jersey’s current legislation in force (to consolidate legislation
and bring laws into more modern usage, which will provide a much more unified
style of legislation) and a major re-development of the existing JLIB web site
to be unveiled in the Spring.
Sir Philip Bailhache commented: 'It is vital for
all of these developments, along with many others, to be progressed if Jersey’s
legal infrastructure is to remain comparable with that already in place in other
leading jurisdictions.'
The JLIB is keen to support the growth of e-commerce
in Jersey and has been striving to ensure from the beginning that its work complements
that of the finance industry in enhancing Jersey's reputation as an offshore
finance centre.