Information support for the Legal Profession

Information Support for the Legal Profession is the text of the 14th Dr. S.R. Ranganathan Memorial Lectures delivered by justice Gopal Sri Ram, Judge, Cort of Appeal, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, from 23rd to 25th, August 2006 in Bangalore.
Information support is of great importance in every professional field and work. It is inter alia, important t the legal profession. The law is enduring . It serves the society and serves the exigencies of change of times and social needs. The principles of basic law are eternal and universal. But concepts change from time to time according to the needs of the society and the demand of public interest. A person in the legal profession has to abreast with development of law . Information plays a key role in this regard. The law changes and develops not merely by legislation but by the disciplined interpretative skill of judges. While judges follow the principle of binding precedents, they shape the law to the needs of the situation by appropriately interpreting such precedents. In this process, they make law to meet the ends of justice so that law and justice are congruous. (from the Foreword)
In the first lecture justice Gopal Sri Ram demonstrates the role and value of precedent. He traces the history of information support for the legal profession in the second lecture. In the third lecture, the various sources of information used also by the legal profession are discussed. The primary source of Information are the text books. Although hard copies of law reports are still the preferred source of case law research, online electronic data bases are becoming popular. Websites are available for information in legal matters. Legal information institutes are established for the dissemination of information. Examples of academic writings that influenced decision are given.