Summary Legal and Technical Report on Spent Convictions

Abstract

This legal and technical report on Spent Convictions modelling summarises the findings and results already presented in Deliverables DC3.1 - DC3.6 and provides concluding perspectives. This report includes a brief overview of the preliminary conceptual work and notes on the Spent Convictions Scheme solution prior to its semi-automated modelling. This report should ideally be read in conjunction with the earlier project deliverables: DC3.1 introduces the subject; DC3.2 presents the clustering for the survey on legal compliance; DC3.3 presents the roadmap towards publishing law as data using Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools; DC3.4 describes in more detail the Spent Convictions Scheme; DC3.5 elaborates on the potential interpretative issues and impact of Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) (Part VIIC – Division 3: Sections 85ZV, 85ZW and Associated Definitions); and DC3.6 analyses the case law perspective. This report briefly discusses (i) the survey on legal compliance in which the difference between regulatory and legal compliance is grounded; (ii) the legal issues raised by the Spent Convictions Scheme (steps, interpretations, case law and privacy); (iii) the Spent Convictions Scheme modelling in defeasible semantic logic, (iv) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques and applications. D3C.7 therefore summarises the results and findings of the Project and offers a proof of concept.