A computer program capable of acting intelligently in the world must have a general representation of the world in terms of which its inputs are interpreted. Designing such a program requires commitments about what knowledge

In this article we present a four-phased method for the development of legal knowledge systems. We set out from the well-studied CommonKADS method for the development of knowledge systems and tailor this method to the legal domain. In particular, we propose a generic legal ontology, and describe the creation of statute-specific ontologies to make the method more suitable for our purposes. In the construction of these ontologies we start from a theoretical analysis of the legal domain. The well-known example of the Imperial College Library Regulations (ICLR) is used to illustrate the method. 1. Introduction Several methods are available for the design of knowledge systems. The essence of these methods is the division of the system-development process into a number of comprehensible phases. The result of each phase is a model of specific aspects of the system. Examples of such models are organisational models, addressing the system in its organisational context, and, functional models, ...

In this paper, the conceptual frame-based ontology as introduced in Van Kralingen (1995) is described. The backbone of the ontology is constituted by three frame structures. The structures have been coined the norm frame, the act frame and the concept-description frame. A legal-theoretical analysis has determined the form of the structures. In addition to the three frame structures, the ontology comprises some (generic) elements for the instantiation of the structures. 1. Introduction The role and importance of ontologies has in recent years been a recurring topic in discussions on the development of models of the legal (and other) domain(s). An ontology aims at providing building blocks for a (conceptual) model. To be able to fulfil its role, an ontology must provide an abstract, usually simplified view on a domain (a conceptualization). This view comes to expression in the form of the specification of a number of concepts and relations that can be used as primitives for building (co...

In this paper, an abstract model of the law is presented that has three primitives: states of affairs, events, and rules. The starting point of the abstract model is that the law is a dynamic system of states of affairs which are connected by means of rules and events. The abstract model can be regarded as an ontology of the law, that can be applied to legal knowledge representation. After an elaboration of the three primitives, the uses of the abstract model are illustrated by the analysis of central topics of law. Then we discuss heuristic model. The paper concludes with a comparison with related work. 1 1. Modeling the law In this paper, we present an abstract model of the law that is based on two crucial characteristics of the law. The first characteristic is that the law is a dynamic system of states of affairs. The law evolves over time: regulations change, contracts are signed, property rights are acquired, etc. The second characteristic is that the

This paper outlines a model theory of deontic reasoning. It proposes that social norms form the basic concept on which deontic inferences operate. The theory unifies and extends current deontic approaches. Empirical findings from the deontic selection task will be presented which support the theory.

Contents Preface vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Temporal Ontology 5 2.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 5 2.2 Logical and Computational Approaches. 12 Chapter 3 Temporal Relations 15 3.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 15 3.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 29 Chapter 4 Temporal Reference 45 4.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 45 4.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 47 Chapter 5 The Frame Problem from a Natural Language Point of View 53 5.1 The Frame Problem: Narrow sense 53 vi Draft Contents 5.2 Nonmonotonicity 55 5.3 Nixon Diamonds 55 5.4 The Frame Problem: Wide sense 56 5.5 Shooting Problems 60 5.6 The Way Forward 60 Chapter 6 Conclusion 63 Further Reading: 65 References 67 Preface These draft lecture notes represent an attempt to identify those parts of logic and computer

This article presents the formalisation of the weak and strong permission in deontic logic based on the logic of enactment. A permission that follows from the absence of a prohibition, we call a weak permission; this permission is not enacted. A strong permission is always enacted (implicitly or explicitly), and implies a giving choice. The distinction between these two types of permission is a consequent of the universality of a normative system by the closure rule: `whatever is not forbidden, is permitted'. Further we present a modification of the logic of enactment with local reasoning. The basic idea behind this treatment is that authorities may enact conflicting normative rules, depending on the frame of reference. The main strength of the presented theory is that we are now able to reason consistently in the presence of inconsistent enacted norms. 1. Introduction When we want to examine different kinds of forms of acts within the framework of the description of the Dutch crimin...

This study offers new views to the problems of the human mental by assuming that its primitives, atoms, molecules, and structures are formed by our memory representations of entities and the mental states caused by them. With the system models of human concepts and mind the eternal problems of human knowledge, values, motivation, language, action, and organisational culture are approached from a new point of view. The human experienceable world is produced by our brain-systems emergent abilities to transform the material afferent action potentials into the mental descriptions of the sensed environment and its meanings. The memory structures and functions are seen as metaphors of our brains ' emergent abilities to process, store, and view memory representations of the sensed, thought, or imagined entities of the being. The system models of man, his memory representations, and his concepts and mind are postulated in Chapters 2, 3, and 4. The other transformation process of our brain-system is the steering effect, in which our thoughts, plans, and decisions are formed into situation relevant flows of efferent action potentials. They, in turn, have a causal control of our speech and other motor actions. The

Contents Preface vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Temporal Ontology 5 2.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 5 2.2 Logical and Computational Approaches. 12 Chapter 3 Temporal Relations 15 3.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 15 3.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 29 Chapter 4 Temporal Reference 47 4.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 47 4.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 49 Chapter 5 The Frame Problem from a Natural Language Point of View 55 5.1 The Frame Problem: Narrow sense vi Draft Contents 5.2 Nonmonotonicity 56 5.3 Nixon Diamonds 57 5.4 The Frame Problem: Wide sense 57 5.5 Shooting Problems 61 5.6 The Way Forward 62 Chapter 6 Conclusion 63 Further Reading: 65 References Preface These draft lecture notes represent an attempt to identify those parts of logic and computer science that are most useful for repr

Contents Preface vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Temporal Ontology 5 2.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 5 2.2 Logical and Computational Approaches. 12 Chapter 3 Temporal Relations 17 3.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 17 3.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 31 Chapter 4 Temporal Reference 53 4.1 Basic Phenomena and Descriptive Frameworks 53 4.2 Logical and Computational Approaches 55 Chapter 5 The Frame Problem Revisited 61 5.1 The Frame Problem Revisited 61 vi Draft Contents 5.2 Nonmonotonicity 63 5.3 Nixon Diamonds 63 5.4 Shooting Problems 64 5.5 The Way Forward 65 Chapter 6 Conclusion 67 Further Reading: 69 References 71 Preface These draft lecture notes represent an attempt to identify those parts of logic and computer science that are most useful for representing natural human reasoning about t