[Commons-Law] Re: Developing a Public Legal Space

[Lawrence Liang]

Hi Rohan

on some of the logistical questions that you have
raised, it is eminently doable and I  think we have a
great chance to really work out a collaboratoive
content model to create the database. 

I would think that there are three distinct tasks
which would be requirted, each requiring different
skill sets and co ordination. 

1. Firstly, there is the question of digital
information. Thankfuly, all of this avilablke now,
ranging from the very expensive ( SCC Online) to
expensive ( manupatra, but with decent value add in
terms of search engine etc) an moderately expensive
like Grand Jurix. What you would need is a team of
people who would copy and paste the texts of the
decisions, and  upoload the same. 

2. More importantly however you need a back end that
deisgn the architecture of the site/ CD in terms of
the way in which the data is strctured. This could
either be flat database, for example arranged
chronologically or, but I think that aprt from a falt
daatbase, one should also attempt at the same time,
specialised databases which are human run on specefic
areas: fopr instance while at infdialawinfo, we
atemptyes to create public interest litigation
databases, media cases databases etc. We could think
of a callobaroative model where people with
spoecialised areas takle on editrorial content for
creating these databases, for example someone could
offer to take editorial charge for all cases dealing
with slums/ slum dwellers etc.

3. we also need  a strong tech backing in terms of
having a solid, yet flexible adrchitecture which
ensures speedy and accurate searches, as well as
enough felixibility to rearrange the database in the
future. Grops like Mahiti who are working on content
management systems based on FLOSS models like Plone
could be of great help here. 

Even if people are wiling to give their time and
energies to this prject, it would stillr equire some
amount of infrastructure suppoirt etc in terms of a
smal office with people working full time on uploading
etc. 

The more imrpotant issue at the end of the day is how 
do we sustain the efforts after creating the database.
We also need to ensure that we dont replicate efforts,
for example, iprlawindia.org which has most of the ip
cases available to all etc.



Lawrence


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