A New Way To Search For UK Law: legislation.gov.uk

Today the UK's Ministry of Justice launched legislation.co.uk, The Official Home of Revised Enacted UK Legislation 1267- Present. According to the web site's FAQ sheet, Legislation.co.uk is "the official place of publication for newly enacted legislation. The aim is to publish legislation on legislation.gov.uk simultaneously or at least within 24 hours of its publication in printed form."

Legislation.co.uk brings together data that, until today, had to be searched via two separate websites. Those websites, Office of Public Sector Information, and the Statute Law Database, will be shut down when the transfer of data to legislation.co.uk is complete. The creation of legislation.co.uk is part of a broader movement toward transparency in government in the UK.
According to a National Archives press release:

Containing a massive 6.5 million PDF documents, the new website shows both the original version of any piece of UK legislation covering all jurisdictions (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and details of any amendments, so that those accessing it can see how laws have evolved. A simple web search will quickly find key legislation like the Consumer Credit Act and the Data Protection Act, and special features include an interactive browse facility and timeline.

Mr Morley [Acting CEO of The National Archives] continued: 'By using the latest technology and opening up the raw data underpinning legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives has given global access to the nation's "operating system". I'm proud to say this website is the only example of its kind in the world. It provides access to an invaluable and historical resource for anyone wanting to know what the law actually says.'

Federal Register Launches Web 2.0 Beta Site

The Federal Register used the occasion of it's 75th anniversary to launch a new Web 2.0 beta site this week. The new website is designed to make the information in the Federal Register more easily accessible to the public. The site is organized in 6 major categories: money, world, business and industry, environment, science and technology, and health and public welfare.

Visitors to the new Federal Register site should be aware that it is not the official legal edition of the Federal Register. However, each document posted on the new website includes a link to the corresponding official Federal Register PDF file on FDsys.gov. The new Federal Register's Legal Status and Disclaimer page contains the following explanation:

This site displays a prototype of a “Web 2.0” version of the daily Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official electronic version on GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys.gov).

The articles posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on FDsys.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to the OFR.gov website.

The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with the official SGML-based PDF version on FDsys.gov, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts

JusticeUpdated

JusticeUpdated is a blog available on the Worldcourts.com website. The stated purpose of the blog is "to keep those interested in ICL and ‘universal jurisdiction’ up-to-date by providing summary information about new developments in these fields." JusticeUpdated began in March 2010, and has proven to be a good resource if you are looking to keep current with recent, notable cases. In addition to covering international courts, the blog reports cases from domestic courts which would be of interest their readers.

New York Appeals

Albany Law School has launched a new publication entitled New York Appeals. Published by the Albany Law Review, New York Appeals will provide an annual roundup of notable issues confronted by the New York Court of Appeals, and practitioners in the New York State. According to their website:

Specifically, New York Appeals will be comprised of law review style articles covering topics ranging from recent high-profile decisions by the Court of Appeals and conflicts among the various departments in the appellate division to a variety of other issues facing practitioners in New York appellate practice. By publishing this issue, the Law Review hopes to create a useful resource for courts, practitioners, and academics concerning New York appellate practice, an area that has statewide—often nationwide—significance.

Alexander Greenawalt On Radovan Karadzic

Alexander Greenawalt, Associate Professor of Law at Pace University School of Law, regularly contributes to the New York Times microblog: Latest on Radovan Karadzic. Check out the latest posts! View the microblog or subscribe directly to the latest updates via RSS feed.

Firefox For Your iPhone

Firefox announced that Firefox Home, a free application, is now available for download on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Conflict of Laws in a Federation: The Nigerian Experience

The Foreign, Comparative & International Law (FCIL) SIS invites you to attend a 2010 Annual Meeting event:

FCIL-SIS Executive Committee Presents

Conflict of Laws in a Federation: The Nigerian Experience

This year's presenter is Ufuoma Lamikanra, recipient of the 2010 FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians. She is the Readers' Services Librarian at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. In her presentation, she will provide an overview of the country's legal system, its legal institutions and publications as well as an examination of the challenges posed by legal pluralism in Nigeria. In addition to a brief survey of Nigeria's legal history, and the influences of English, Islamic, and customary law on the legal system, Ms. Lamikanra will discuss the hierarchy of courts, sources of law, legal publishing, and law librarianship in Nigeria. She will also be sharing tips for librarians interested in acquiring Nigerian legal material

Where: CCC-Room 109

When: Monday, July 12, 2010

Time: 12:00PM to 1:15PM

This event is open to the entire AALL community. Please join us in welcoming Ufuoma Lamikanra to Denver this summer and we hope to see you at the event!

Read more about the announcement.