ESTABLISHING A SUSTAINABLE LEGAL INFORMATION SYSTEM IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: A PRACTICAL GUIDE

In this paper, a practical systems analysis approach is described for the planning, development and implementation of the information technology required to have a sustainable legal information system in a developing country. Considerations involved to create, compile and distribute the country’s governing laws in electronic form are described. Alternative database search and retrieval options are discussed, as well as issues relating to distribution of the database online, on local media, or on both. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions and general requirements for a developing country, a model legal information system is then presented. By using the approach suggested in this paper, a developing country can fully evaluate the cost-benefit tradeoffs, as well as all other tradeoffs, in determining the most appropriate information technology to use for the creation, compilation, and distribution of its laws in electronic form.