Informatics and the Foundations of Legal Reasoning represents a close collaboration between a wide range of disciplines and countries. Fourteen papers, together with a long analytical introduction by the editors, were selected from the contributions of legal theorists, computer scientists, philosophers and logicians who were members of an International Working Group supported by the European Commission. The Group was mandated to work towards determining how far the law is amenable to formal modeling, and in what ways computers might assist legal thinking and practice. The book is the result of discussions held by the Group over two and half years. It will help students and researchers from different backgrounds to focus on a common set of topics of increasing general interest. It embodies the results of work in progress and suggests many issues for further discussion. A stimulating text for undergraduate and graduate courses in law, philosophy and computer science departments, as well as for those interested in the place of computers in legal practice, especially at the international level.

In this book, Georgios N. Yannopoulos appropriately relates the developing field of knowledge based systems in law with the basis in classic philosophy, explicating relations which too often are not properly understood. The decision model developed by the author is important, as it integrates and explains arguments which often have been seen as imcompatible. The use of the theoretical foundation in describing and in giving a critical analysis of the construction of real knowledge bases systems becomes therefore very valuable.and’ Jon Bing, Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law and‘Expert systems in law have not been as easily achieved as was originally envisaged, because too many thought the task to be trivial and ignored the complex issues involved. Yannopoulosand’ work is valuable because he attempts to detail these issues and overcome them.and’ Philip Leith, Queenand’s University of Belfast and‘Yannopoulosand’ book addresses some of the most crucial problems in the field of information technology and law. The development of more advanced IT solutions for the legal sector will always be closely related to our ability to model and understand the legal reasoning process. In his analysis Yannopoulos elegantly integrates knowledge from many different areas, and in this respect the book reflects an all too seldom seen broadness.and’ Pete Wahlgren, The Swedish Law and Informatics Research Institute (IRI) and‘There has been an abundance of recent research on developing intelligent support systems. Dr Yannopoulosand’ work is especially significant because it examines the necessary legal background for building such systems. It will be an essential reference for the prospective builders of intelligent legal support systems.and’ John Zeleznikow, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia

This handbook addresses legal reasoning and argumentation from a logical, philosophical and legal perspective. The main forms of legal reasoning and argumentation are covered in an exhaustive and critical fashion, and are analysed in connection with more general types (and problems) of reasoning. Accordingly, the subject matter of the handbook divides in three parts. The first one introduces and discusses the basic concepts of practical reasoning. The second one discusses the general structures and procedures of reasoning and argumentation that are relevant to legal discourse. The third one looks at their instantiations and developments of these aspects of argumentation as they are put to work in the law, in different areas and applications of legal reasoning.