test of time. In essence the features enjoyed by early adopters are still those enjoyed by today’s users: the speed of publication due to automated processes, the use of text base content to enable minimum file size and downloads, and the logically structured layout providing quick access to the vast resources within. The scope and breadth of the content available on AustLII is enormous: it has 700 separate databases. Let me give one simple example of the breadth of impact AustLII has had on access to legal information and how it has brought that information to us. My example is the Australian Treaty Database the – Commonwealth’s treaty collection. In times past a Library would either have had to subscribe in hard copy or contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ask for supply. No longer. The collation, digitisation and release of this content is typical of the great improvement to legal research that AustLII has made in their 20 years. And, so I am told, there are literally hundreds more examples like this content that you don’t know you need, until you need it. – It is also worth highlighting AustLII’s inspiration for and collaboration with Legal Information Institutes in other countries through a consortium aptly named WorldLII is an excellent gateway to legal information of “WorldLII”. other countries, both familiar and unfamiliar. The history of that unfolding story is also recorded on the 20 year timeline. Add to that AustLII’s free-access case and journal article citator, LawCite, and the whole package is a fabulously efficient research tool.
test of time. In essence the features enjoyed by early adopters are still those enjoyed by today’s users: the speed of publication due to automated processes, the use of text base content to enable minimum file size and downloads, and the logically structured layout providing quick access to the vast resources within. The scope and breadth of the content available on AustLII is enormous: it has 700 separate databases. Let me give one simple example of the breadth of impact AustLII has had on access to legal information and how it has brought that information to us. My example is the Australian Treaty Database – the Commonwealth’s treaty collection. In times past a Library would either have had to subscribe in hard copy or contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ask for supply. No longer. The collation, digitisation and release of this content is typical of the great improvement to legal research that AustLII has made in their 20 years. And, so I am told, there are literally hundreds more examples like this – content that you don’t know you need, until you need it. It is also worth highlighting AustLII’s inspiration for and collaboration with Legal Information Institutes in other countries through a consortium aptly named “WorldLII”. WorldLII is an excellent gateway to legal information of other countries, both familiar and unfamiliar. The history of that unfolding story is also recorded on the 20 year timeline. Add to that AustLII’s free-access case and journal article citator, LawCite, and the whole package is a fabulously efficient research tool.
austlii+remarks+for+macaulay+j+30+november+2015.docx