The Semantic Interoperability Conference, organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, achieved an all-time high with 458 on site visitors and 803 followers online. You can watch the conference recordings here.
Below you can find the key takeaways from the pre-conference workshop on "Digital-ready Policymaking and Law as Code". We have also summarised the parallel track on "AI in digital-ready policy design and legal drafting" here.
SEMIC 2023 - Parallel track on Digital-ready Policymaking and Law as Code key takeaways
This parallel session of the SEMIC 2023 conference's parallel track focused on the intersection of digital-ready policymaking and the law as code movement, emphasizing the need for early collaboration between policymakers and implementers. Discussions highlighted the benefits of a digital-ready approach, such as smoother policy implementation, and the importance of multidisciplinary teams that blend legal and IT expertise.
Digital transformation is becoming a necessity for modern public administrations. The shift to a digital-ready mindset enables policymakers to be agile, prepare for technological advancements, and make the best use of technology in policy design. This involves embracing principles like data reuse and collaboration across domains.
The concept of Smart Law aligns with the Rules as Code movement, which seeks to draft laws in both natural and computer-readable languages. While this approach promises direct implementation of laws into IT systems, it raises concerns about the division of power and challenges in translating legal rules for digital systems.
Spain serves as a case study with its significant digitization efforts in the justice sector. The adoption of LEOS for legal drafting, AI, and Robotic Process Automation are transforming services, offering proactive public administration, and ensuring equality in access to rights.
While automation and AI offer numerous benefits, they also present challenges such as ensuring security, managing the complexity of abstract legal concepts, and maintaining transparency without compromising sensitive information.
During the Q&A, other points were raised:
- Start with manageable, successful projects to build support and demonstrate value.
- Prioritize change management and collaboration among stakeholders.
- Train professionals to work effectively across legal and IT domains.
- Center projects around citizens' needs for user-friendly digital services.
- Balance transparency with security to ensure both openness and protection.
- Engage with academic communities for advice on digital legal transformations.