The interaction between the disciplines of law, computer science and artificial intelligence are attracting increasing attention within the academic and commercial communities, especially in the areas of "intelligent" computer fraud, copyright of software, data protection, representing law on the computer, and legal liability of producers of intelligent and nonintelligent software. The chapters in this volume are representative of the debate and of the central issues. They include material concerning the way that the discipline of law will affect computer science and AI and also how computer science and AI will affect law. The chapters lend support to the hypothesis that in years to come law will have a severe impact on computer science (via data protection and copyright); that computers will have an effect on law (via legal databases and electronic presentation of evidence); that law will impact on AI (via liability of intelligent software writers and codes of conduct); and that AI will have an impact on law (via models of legal reasoning and implementations of various statutes). By grouping the chapters into theory, implications, and applications sections, the authors make an initial attempt to identify separate, but interrelated methodological stances.
