It’s being reported by the Manila Bulletin
http://www.mb.com.ph/southeast-asias-first-free-online-legal-portal-available-soon/
MANILA– Legal information and materials across Southeast Asia may soon be accessed for free with the launch of an online portal — the first in the region — starting January next year.
In partnership with state-run University of the Philippines and other leading law schools in the region, the online legal portal is being promoted by Kuala Lumpur-based Asean Legal Information Centre (Asean LIC) and Malaysia’s University of Malaya.
“Asean LIC, when it will be launched in January 2017, will be directly beneficial to the Asean legal community because it provides latest updates of Asean legal developments to all visitors free of charge,” Asean LIC Executive Director Rajesh Muttath said.
As preparation for the launch, a delegation from the Asean LIC paid a courtesy call on Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday afternoon.
The delegation included Muttath, Dean Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin (Chairman of the Asean LIC Governing Council and the Dean of Faculty of Law of the University of Malaya) and law professor Dr. Choong Yeow Choy.
During the meeting, Dean Johan sought the support of the Philippine judiciary for the cause of free access to law in the region.
In the courtesy call, Dean Johan explained that Asean LIC will be working with leading law schools to empower businesses particularly cross-border trade and commerce within the region; assist Southeast Asian countries and their agencies to publicize legal information; and support legal professionals and researchers, among others.
He also sought Sereno’s permission to republish the Philippines appellate judgments on Asean LIC.
Sereno lauded Asean LIC for taking up the cause of free access to law, as she guided the delegation to the Supreme Court website from where Asean LIC could access the latest judgments of the courts.
