IVR 2003: Artificial Intelligence in the Law
Creativity in Legal Problem Solving

Proceedings of the Special Workshop (2003/08/16 Lund, Sweden)

Preface

For addressing the pertinent legal issues that are suitable for changing social situations, the role of creative application of law has become increasingly important. Hence, the promotion of lawyers with creative legal minds is the pressing need. Also is needed that principles and methods of creative legal problem solving are clarified and developed. The study on artificial intelligence in law should contribute to this task.

This special workshop “Artificial Intelligence and Law” in the IVR World Congress 2003, therefore, focuses on “Creativity in Legal Problem Solving” as is the subtitle of this workshop (The original subtitle of the workshop “Efficient Tools for Legal Practice, Education and Theory” was changed to the above subtitle.)

In this special workshop, under the title “Artificial Intelligence and Law - Creativity in Legal Problem Solving”, it is to be discussed specifically “What is creativity in legal problem solving, given the legal, moral, political, and logical constraints on solutions, what is its role, how does it work, and can it be modeled in AI, or can AI contribute to promote creative legal thinking?”

This workshop was organized by me. As I was hospitalized for five months (and I left hospital just on the last Thursday, August 7), I could not prepare this workshop enough well. I apologize all for the fault. In spite that I was handicapped to work for it on a bed in hospital, my friends have so kindly helped me that this workshop has realized as it is now working well. I thank Professor Alekander Peczenik for his patient, but quick help as the organizer of IVR 2003, Professor Kevin Ashley for co-chair, co-organizing and good suggestions together with powerful helps, Professor Jaap Hage and Professor Giovanni Sartor for integrating this workshop with their special workshop “Law, Morality, Politics, Defeasibility” so that this would become more fruitful.

I would like to thank Professor Margaret A. Boden for her invited talk “Creativity and Law: How Can They Live Together?” I thank all who submitted papers for their contribution as well.

Finally, let me indicate that this workshop is supported financially by Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research of Japanese Ministry of Education and Science.

I conclude this preface hoping that this special workshop is very productive through hot discussions by all participants. Thank you.

Hajime Yoshino
Meiji Gakuin University School of Law