A Web-based Decision Support System for Divorce Lawyers

This paper discusses the design and development of a prototype web based expert system for calculating financial provision awards when a couple divorce in Scotland. The function of the system is primarily to help trainee lawyers to understand the structure and content of the matrimonial property and divorce domain, and to access case law available on the web in a systematic fashion. The system currently focuses on evaluating what property belonging to the parties should be included in "matrimonial property". We felt that an expert systems approach was appropriate for the domain of financial provision on divorce, since the modelling and application of expertise by an expert system is thought to be helpful in promoting "active learning". An e-commerce style interface was used for gathering information, and the complete text of the Family Law (Scotland) 1985 is also available in the system, often with hyperlinks to the main narrative body of the system. The system is designed to support an advisory, negotiating or mediatory role, rather than an adversarial one, since Scottish solicitors have a preference for seeking consensual negotiated settlements. A practical and useful future extension to the system would be to permit the drafting of electronic documents resulting from negotiated settlements, such as minutes or joint minutes of agreement.     

Criminals' explanations of their criminal behavior, Part II: A possible role for psychopathy.

The author reviewed the literature concerning the effect of criminals' current psychopathology on their explanations about their crimes. He then studied 100 incarcerated men, examining the associations between their explanations and various historically documented aspects of psychopathy. Previously and independently documented patterns of pathological lying, lack of remorse or guilt, callousness or lack of empathy, and failure to accept responsibility for their own behavior were significantly associated with the offenders not admitting responsibility for their crimes. Further, independently described histories of pathological lying were associated with criminals' blaming their convictions on a faculty criminal-justice system, while histories of failure to accept responsibility for their behavior were associated with blaming someone else for their index crimes.