Judges as IT users: the Iuriservice example

Judicial culture generally refers to the set of values, cognitive skills, and practical knowledge of members of the judiciary. In this chapter, we present a research project whose main object is to identify, organize, model, and use practical knowledge produced by judges in judicial settings. To do so, we describe the steps followed to develop Iuriservice, a Web-based system intended to provide the Spanish judiciary with a tool to facilitate knowledge management in daily judicial practice. Iuriservice is a Web-based application that retrieves answers to questions raised by incoming judges in the Spanish judicial domain. This system provides these newly recruited judges with access to frequently asked questions (FAQ) through a natural language interface. The impact and limits of the implementation of Iuriservice in the larger context of the court system will also be considered. Finally, we will conclude by situating the Iuriservice example in the context of recent trends in judicial reform.