Matthew Waddington (Project Lead)
Hello – I am a legislative drafter working half time on the Computer-Readable Legislation Project. I attended the European University Institute’s summer school on law and logic in 2018, because for a long time I had had a nagging feeling that legislative drafters and logicians have more in common than we realise. After that I took an interest in the “Rules as Code” movement which was just starting in New Zealand and then spread to Australia and worldwide. My main concern is to bring the perspective of legislative drafters to computational law and Rules as Code (particularly the legislative drafters in Commonwealth countries, where we now share a rigorous approach to drafting). I aim to ensure that legislative drafters (and the people who make law and are subject to it) can benefit from the opportunities that technology is offering, as well as the insights that logic and computing can offer into how we can sharpen the discipline of our drafting. I have spoken at events for the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel and elsewhere, and written for CALC’s journal “The Loophole” and other publications. I have also been teaching part time at Jersey’s Institute of Law, particularly on how to read legislation, as well as in modules on public law and jurisprudence. Previously I was deputy head of Jersey’s Legislative Drafting Office, and I worked as a legislative drafter in the UK’s Overseas Territory in Cyprus from 2004 (which means I have drafted for both entry to and exit from the EU). Before that I worked in England at the Law Commission, a university, community law centres and a private practice legal aid firm, after qualifying as a solicitor in 1990 (now non-practising).
Leon Qiu
Hello! I’m really excited to share a glimpse into my academic and professional journey that led me here at the CRLP. During my LL.B. at the University of Edinburgh, under the supervision of Scott Wortley for my dissertation, I delved into the complexities of law in our digital era. This experience was a turning point for me, as it illuminated the potential of technology to revolutionise traditional legal practices. I found a particular passion in exploring how legislation can be crafted and improved through technological tools, making the process more efficient and accessible.
It was around this time that I met Matthew, whose insights and enthusiasm deeply resonated with me. We have shared interests in the innovative area of Rule as Code – the concept of transforming legal rules into computer code to make laws more understandable and executable by machines. This approach has the potential to bridge the gap between legal experts and the wider community, ensuring laws are interpreted consistently and applied more effectively.
Joining the CRLP felt like a natural step in my quest to contribute to this evolving field. I’m keen on pushing the boundaries of how we think about and interact with legislation in the digital age, exploring ways technology can aid in drafting laws that are clear, precise, and adaptable to rapid societal changes.
Laurence Diver
I have worked at the intersection of technology, design and legal & regulation theory for close to a decade now, with my focus shifting towards Rules as Code since 2020. Most recently I was senior researcher in the 5-year project COHUBICOL (Counting as a Human Being in the Era of Computational Law), where I worked on the interface between legal theory and computation and co-founded the Journal of Cross-disciplinary Research in Computational Law with Prof. Mireille Hildebrandt.
I hold PhD, LLM, and LLB degrees from the University of Edinburgh, as well as diplomas in legal practice and software development. Before embarking on a PhD I was a full stack web developer, a research assistant at the Universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde, and a legal assistant at the Scottish Law Commission.
My work at the crossover of design, democracy and the Rule of Law is reflected in a range of publications and my open-access book Digisprudence: Code as Law Rebooted (Edinburgh University Press 2022).
Margaux McQuilton
Hello! I’m thrilled to share my journey with you! Currently pursuing a French and English Law double degree at Jersey’s Institute of Law, I crossed paths with Matthew during one of my modules. He introduced me to his fascinating Computer-readable Legislative project, igniting my interest instantly. Despite lacking computer skills and coding experience initially, I dived into the digital realm during a six-week summer internship. My tasks involved parsing legislative provisions, identifying structures, and then using tools like Mermaid, QnA, Excel, and DataLex. Following this enriching experience, I eagerly continued the project for an additional six months, expanding my skills. In December 2023, I organised an event on “The Future of AI & Law,” bringing together IT and law students to find different ways to digitise legislation. Following this, I launched an ELSA essay competition focused on AI and law, leading to being shortlisted for the Jersey TechAwards.
Reflecting on this journey, I began with zero computing experience but gained valuable skills. I hope my story encourages others to pursue their interests, embracing the learning curve. If given the chance, I would eagerly jump into another computing and law project.