Internet Newsletter for Lawyers
May/June 2006, by Delia Venables

A Wiki allows anyone to add content to a website, or to expand or alter content already present. The idea is that individuals will contribute materials within their own specialism or interest (murder for example), and others may contribute perhaps by adding links to external resources (e.g. Bailii) such as cases or reports. As well as links to external resources there is also a facility to add documents (such as court forms or pro forma materials) and even video clips of interviews with judges or advocacy tutorials. The possibilities are almost endless.

An example of this can be seen on the page dealing with bad character evidence (one of the most popular pages). The page was created by me, but within a short space of time another user has added links to 7 relevant cases, along with references to Law Society guidance on the subject. Similar examples exist across many other pages, and I am sure that if you look at pages of interest to your particular area of expertise you will quickly come to realise that you know something of relevance that is not currently referenced - this is where you step in!

Alternatively you may want to start a new topic. First, simply enter the name of that subject, and see whether the search produces relevant results; if not, you can create that page. Write what you know about the topic (even if only a little) and watch others take an interest and add to it. Over time, the vision is of a community of lawyers working together, each contributing just a little, to a resource that could soon become the encyclopedia of English criminal law.

I am seeking contributions from lawyers, academics and judges; since registration is anonymous, you can hide your identity if you so wish. Phase 1 of the project is content building and I have set aside one year as a realistic target before the project could be said to be truly of use to both lawyers and lay people alike. This period allows for structure and content building, and hopefully an opportunity to iron out some initial difficulties.

Regrettably the software that is behind the project is not as user friendly as I had first hoped. The first few weeks have seen considerable content added by a very few people; I had expected more lawyers to take up the challenge, particularly as the project has had widespread publicity, and one of the reasons may simply be that people are not clear how to actually add and alter content. The problem is being addressed.

That said the progress to date has been quite impressive, with 164 people registering for the site (registration is not required to view the material, only to add or alter it, so it is thought that these people have at least the intention to contribute content at some point). Latest figures show that there have been over 27,000 page views, reflecting a widespread interest in the work to date. All told I am very pleased with the work done and fully expect that when people see that this project has value added material that will be around as an important resource for the future, they too will seek to add their own contribution.

Andrew Keogh is a partner at Tuckers Solicitors and can be contacted via andrewkeogh@gmail.com.

Note from Delia... here comes another wiki....

Wiki Mental Health

i) Caselaw; regularly updated commentaries on the cases, with links to the full text judgments on Bailii. (Bailii contains nearly every judgment, but no specific commentary.)

ii) Legislation; a simple and up-to-date commentary on the Mental Health Act 1983 and related legislation.

iii) General articles to explain the concepts and terminology used in the caselaw and legislation sections.

To add to the wiki, you have to register, but it is free and all lawyers and health care professionals are invited to contribute.

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