An Integration of Software Engineering Methods and Semantic Technologies for Drafting and Modeling Statutes and Legal Rules

Description

The semantic representation and modeling of legal texts has for a long time been a significant research challenge. While approaches from both, software en- gineering and semantic modeling, have led to impres- sive results, some gaps are still remaining. This paper tries to bridge the gap between generalizability and applicability by combining semantic modeling with traditional software engineering processes. A framework for drafting legislation was imple- mented in OWL, SWRL, various web-based technolo- gies and Java using the Jena framework. Links to external ontologies were made via semantic relations, following the principles of linked open data. A base model including ontologies, semantic rulesets and ad- ditional algorithms were developed and amended by a general development process for implementing diverse fields of law. The base model and process suggested in this pa- per were then tested in an extensive case study, which clearly documented the approaches benefits, such as increased efficiency of the modeling process, auto- matic consistency checking, compatibility with estab- lished standards in legal semantics, and the reusabil- ity of base classes underlying the developed models. The case study addresses curricula based on Austrian legislation in depth, which are exemplarily covered as a whole.

Period	28 Jan 2015
Event title	Australasian Computer Science Conference 2015
Event type	Conference
Location	AustraliaShow on map