Mowbray, Andrew --- "Introduction" [2000] UTSLawRw 1; (2000) 2 University of Technology Sydney Law Review 5

Introduction

This second volume of the UTS Law Review comprises a selection of the papers from the Second AustLII Conference on Law on the Internet held at the University of Technology, Sydney on the 21st to the 23rd of July, 1999. The theme of the Conference concerned the promotion of free access to public legal information both in Australia and internationally.

Apart from the obvious social benefits provided by making legal information more widely available, the conference papers reflect the burgeoning interest in the study of “Law on the Internet” as a delivery mechanism for legal information as an object of academic inquiry in its own right. Contributions to the Conference were made by scholars from Australasia, North America and Europe.

In His Honour’s introductory Address, “Free the Law—Beyond the “Dark Chaos’”, the Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG of the High Court of Australia congratulated AustLII and said:

“The Law is ours. Ours, the citizens. AustLII helps to make that a reality.”

AUSTLII, along with the British and Irish Legal Information Institute, the Cornell Legal Information Institute, the Montreal LEXUM Project and others are working together to create a research infrastructure that will enable free international legal research over the Internet.

Associate Professor Andrew Mowbray
Co-Director, Australasian Legal Information Institute