Seminar
The meaning of free access to law:
Are there different common law and civil law perspectives?
GRAHAM GREENLEAF
The keynote speech explores whether there are significant differences in perceptions of what constitutes ‘free access to legal information’, and the roles that different parties should play in providing it, between countries with legal systems based on the common law, and those from the civil law tradition. The roles of civil society organisations, including academic bodies, are the main focus. First, differences in publishing practices between common law and civil law countries are considered, both at the national level and in relation to multi-national provision of information, in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa. Second, the question is raised of whether there are underlying factors in these different types of legal systems which may result in different attitudes to the nature of law, and may account for differences in practices. Finally, it is necessary to ask whether global declarations or standards concerning free access to legal information sufficiently reflect such differences.
Schedule of the event:
