This book is only available in PDF format

Authors: Justice France, David Goddard KC,  Bronwyn McKinlay, Justice Miller, Bruce Scott
Published: 4 May 2016
Pages: 58

Introduction

In that context, the overall purpose of this seminar booklet is to demystify the change to an electronic environment and introduce the next phase in the progression to a paperless Court. More specifically the objectives of this paper are to:

(a) Provide different perspectives on this change, thinking about these issues from the standpoint of the judiciary, advocates, law firms and, not unimportantly, clients.

(b) Briefly describe how other jurisdictions are currently utilising electronic document management.

(c) Identify the relevant rules of court (including practice notes and protocols) that presently, or will shortly, govern the use of electronic casebooks in the Higher Courts.

(d) Discuss briefly the resourcing requirements for electronic casebooks in terms of hardware, software and people.

(e) Consider the different approaches to be taken depending on whether the electronic casebook is to be used in a High Court trial or on appeal.

(f) Emphasise the critical importance of good communication and collaboration between those preparing electronic casebooks in order to ensure that they function as intended and add the most value possible to all users (the court, practitioners and clients).

(g) Touch on the process involved in creating and using an electronic casebook both in a trial and appellate context.

As to the last of these points, the objective of this seminar is not to provide a technical user’s guide on how to build or operate an electronic casebook. That is the purpose of a forthcoming webinar. It is important to appreciate, however, that given the changes in technology and user understanding, this more mechanical, albeit critically important, process will continue to evolve rapidly. Any reader of this booklet in two years’ time is likely to find significant changes have occurred in the process of assembling an electronic casebook.
 

Content outline

• Perspectives
  • Setting the scene
  • The judicial use of electronic casebooks
  • Unlocking the potential of electronic casebooks – a barrister’s perspective
  • Convincing a client and making it work – a law firm perspective
• Creation and management of the electronic casebook
  • The overseas experience
  • Hardware, software and human resourcing
  • Existing Court rules and the electronic document protocol
  • Trials versus appeals
  • Communication and collaboration
  • Creating the casebook
  • Using an electronic casebook