LexisNexis [1] UK (www.lexisnexis.co.uk [2]), a leading provider of content and technology solutions, today announced that it is partnering with the UK government on the research project ‘Big Data for Law’. The project will transform the way we understand and use current legislation.
The project, led by The National Archives, will provide new open data, new tools and new research methodologies for the study of law. Researchers will have the equipment required to chart and examine vast amounts of current legislation. This will ultimately change the way we create legislation, making it easier to maintain and interpret.
Big Data for Law is the first private-government big data research project and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Christian Fleck, LexisNexis UK managing director, commented: “I am delighted that LexisNexis was chosen to contribute to the “Big Data for Law” initiative. Our advanced capabilities in large scale legal data and the enabling technologies should be of great value for this project. This visionary initiative will help the accessibility, transparency and efficiency of the legal system, which will benefit the entire legal community and society overall. Indeed, supporting this initiative fits perfectly with our purpose of and commitment to furthering the Rule of Law. We are excited to help “Big Data for Law” become a major leap towards the future of law. ”
LexisNexis is working with the Government on its two key projects in law: Big Data for Law and the Good Law project. The teams will provide editorial support, legislation expertise, data analysis and access to HPCC (High Performance Computing Cluster).
John Sheridan, Head of Legislation Services at The National Archives, stated: “The sheer volume of legislation, its piecemeal structure, frequent amendments and its interaction with both common law and European law, make it difficult to understand and comply with. Big data technologies can revolutionise how we understand and use the law. For the first time ever, thanks to the Big Data for Law project, researchers will have access to the data, the tools and the methodologies they need to undertake research across the entire statute book. We’re delighted to be working with an organisation as far sighted as Lexis Nexis on such an important and transformative project.”
For more information on the Big Data for Law project, visit: www.legislation.gov.uk/projects/big-data-for-law [3]