diff --git a/advantages_of_imprecision.md b/advantages_of_imprecision.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..21bf010 --- /dev/null +++ b/advantages_of_imprecision.md @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +--- +date: "2020-06-16" +--- + +# Advantages of imprecision + +Some semantic vagueness is intended. + +* Too rigid law/contract is not applicable for novel situations. + + +See also: ["I know it when I see it"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it) diff --git a/computable_contracts.md b/computable_contracts.md index d186535..32a5978 100644 --- a/computable_contracts.md +++ b/computable_contracts.md @@ -1,7 +1,16 @@ --- date: "2020-06-15" +tags: + - paper + - concept --- # Computable contracts +Paper by Harry Surden from 2012. +TODO: read paper. + + +Also a general term. Examples of computable contracts: + - diff --git a/daml_smart_contracts.md b/daml_smart_contracts.md index a4f46c3..16a3de5 100644 --- a/daml_smart_contracts.md +++ b/daml_smart_contracts.md @@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ date: "2020-06-15" # DAML smart contracts +[DAML web page](https://daml.com/) + A different interpretation of contracts as code, where the contracts are automatically generated and signed by computers and sent between servers. diff --git a/generality.md b/generality.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9fc2b72 --- /dev/null +++ b/generality.md @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +--- +date: "2020-06-16" +tags: + - concept +--- + +# Generality + +Event `A` is more general than event `B`, iff every instance of `B` is also an instance of `A`. + +Example from Layman E. Allen (1987) _Normalized legal drafting and Query method_: + +* "penalty" is more general than "fine" +* "penalty" is more general than "imprisonment" + +### Colloquial usage of "generalization" + +Paraphrased from a [Finnish source](http://sange.fi/~atehwa/cgi-bin/piki.cgi/yleistys), so trust my word. :-P /Inari + +Consider the following statements and their (unjustified) conclusions: + +* All humans can walk + * conclusion: All mammals can walk +* It's sunny today + * conclusion: It's sunny always + +Despite colloquial usage, these conclusions are not generalisations. + +_Mammal_ is a generalization of _human_, and _always_ is a generalization of _today_. +But the statement "it's sunny always" is __not__ a generalization of "it's sunny today". + +In all worlds where it's sunny _always_, it is also sunny _today_. So the logically correct direction is: + +* _it's sunny today_ is a generalization of _it's sunny always_. + +### Questions + +Is this confusion about generality of statements relevant in legal contracts? diff --git a/index.md b/index.md index 65202cc..d36b62d 100644 --- a/index.md +++ b/index.md @@ -1,4 +1,9 @@ # Overview +This is a Zettelkasten for the reading list of CCLAW@SMU. + +Contributions are welcome. (Maybe this can be moved to the smucclaw repository later and the structure can make more sense.) + +Start here: + - -- diff --git a/introduction_to_logical_spreadsheets.md b/introduction_to_logical_spreadsheets.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8b8b5d0 --- /dev/null +++ b/introduction_to_logical_spreadsheets.md @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +--- +date: "2020-06-16" +tags: + - paper +--- + +# An introduction to logical spreadsheets + +2007 paper by Michael Kassoff and Andre Valente. + +TODO: read paper. diff --git a/legal_drafting_is_broken.md b/legal_drafting_is_broken.md index 7222b30..68140b6 100644 --- a/legal_drafting_is_broken.md +++ b/legal_drafting_is_broken.md @@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ date: "2020-06-15" Humans are imprecise: * Incomplete information -* Semantically vague -* Syntactically ambiguous (e.g. ) +* Semantically vague (, …) +* Syntactically ambiguous (, …) ### Legal drafting uses a suboptimal format Plain text is lacking: @@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ Plain text is lacking: Proposed solutions to fix legal drafting: -- +- - - + +Alternative points of view: + +- diff --git a/normalized_legal_drafting.md b/normalized_legal_drafting.md deleted file mode 100644 index ece67a2..0000000 --- a/normalized_legal_drafting.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9 +0,0 @@ ---- -date: "2020-06-15" ---- - -# Normalized legal drafting - -From 1978 paper by Layman E. Allen _Normalized legal drafting and Query method_ - -Precursor to rules as code, computational contracts etc. "Normalized" legal document à la Allen ≈ with the purpose "Improve communication among humans". diff --git a/normalized_legal_drafting_query_method.md b/normalized_legal_drafting_query_method.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..716c47c --- /dev/null +++ b/normalized_legal_drafting_query_method.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +--- +date: "2020-06-15" +tags: + - paper +--- + +# Normalized legal drafting and the Query method + +1978 paper by Layman E. Allen: _Normalized legal drafting and the Query method_. + +Precursor to rules as code, computational contracts etc. "Normalized" legal document à la Allen ≈ with the goal "Improve communication among humans". + +### Purpose + +Aims to fix _unintended_ syntactic ambiguity, imprecision, confusing turn of phrase or just plain incorrect meaning. +(There are also , which this method would keep.) + +### Normalization + +(Manually) convert text into two equivalent formats: + +1. Itemized list, using line breaks and explicit tokens such as `1.` and `a)` +1. Human-readable visual diagram. For istance, _if a then b_ is expressed as + + ``` + >─┐ + a + │ + ˅ + b + ``` + +Advantages: + +* Exposes when you need to put things in parallel and be explicit about what is left unsaid. +* Visual graph shows more clearly different ways of reaching a state, etc. + +### Query method + +Method for humans to learn to draft in the normalized style. + +TODO: read that part of paper. diff --git a/spreadsheets_for_law.md b/spreadsheets_for_law.md index e0e7787..67817a0 100644 --- a/spreadsheets_for_law.md +++ b/spreadsheets_for_law.md @@ -1,7 +1,14 @@ --- date: "2020-06-15" +tags: + - concept + - approach --- # Spreadsheets for law -I don't know yet what this is, but Meng thinks it's important. +TODO + +Related papers: + +- diff --git a/teach_humans.md b/teach_humans.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..42f4dcc --- /dev/null +++ b/teach_humans.md @@ -0,0 +1,15 @@ +--- +date: "2020-06-16" +tags: + - approach +--- + +# Teach humans to draft better + +The only feasible approach before computers were mainstream. + +(TODO: is there modern support for this approach?) + +Examples: + +- (Allen 1978)