Government bodies

Courts Service Ireland

Official website of the Irish Courts Service, providing judgments of the Supreme Court (from 2001), the High Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal (2004 onwards) in a searchable or browseable database. Background information on the history and work of the courts is available, together with court rules, forms, practice directions, news items and a diary of current and future cases. Information pamphlets and statistics are also provided and there is a glossary of legal terms.

United States Court of International Trade

Official website for the US Court of International Trade, aiming to provide public access to information about the Court, the history of its development and its current activities as a constituent and significant part of the federal judicial system providing corrective justice in the area of international trade litigation. The site publishes USCIT slip opinions for 1999 onwards which can be viewed in full text PDF. Rules and forms of the Court and profiles of the judges are also made available on the site.

Statistik Austria

Statistik Österreich, now called Statistik Austria, became an independent body in January 2000. Its remit is to disseminate national statistics in an impartial manner. Profiles cover economic, demographic, social, ecological and cultural aspects of Austria. Some information can be downloaded in PDF or Excel format, but it is not all freely available. It is also possible to search for Statistik Austria's publications by subject. All texts are in German. The English version of the site contains a limited amount of information.

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

Official website of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), which is a Special Operating Agency associated with the government department Industry Canada. The CIPO is responsible for the administration and processing of much of the intellectual property in Canada and has official responsibilities in regard to patents, trade-marks, copyrights, industrial designs and integrated circuit topographies.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Legal Office

Official site for the Legal Office of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The office provides legal advisory services to member nations, particularly in the areas of legislative and treaty drafting. The site lists member states with the date of membership, publishes news highlights from the office, details of print publications ordered via the site, and occasional papers in PDF format. A collection of basic FAO texts including the constitution, rules of procedure of committees and policy documents are also available.

Scottish Legal Aid Board

The Scottish Legal Aid Board is a non-departmental public body responsible for managing legal aid in Scotland. Its website presents information for the public and information for solicitors and other advisory services. For solicitors and advisors, it provides an online facility for legal aid applications, handbooks, updates, forms and other materials. For the public, there is advice and guidance about getting legal aid and finding a solicitor, including a directory of legal aid practitioners.

Government Legal Department

Official website of the Government Legal Department (GLD), formerly the Treasury Solicitor. The website explains the role and kinds of work undertaken by the department as the government’s principal legal advisers. The GLD pages form part of the GOV.UK website and include publications, announcements and consultations. The website gives the names of the management team of the GLD. A link to the Bona Vacantia division of the GLD is also provided.

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service

Official website for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, outlining the court structure in Northern Ireland and providing information on services including court lists, fees, information on jury service and support for victims and witnesses. Access is provided to a range of publications relevant to the Northern Ireland Court Service including legislation, press releases, policy documents and targets and performance data. Judgements from the Northern Ireland courts are available to download from the site in full text and can be searched or browsed back to 1999.

Ministry of Justice Japan

Website of the Japanese Ministry of Justice, the government department with primary responsibility for maintaining the rule of law and legal order in Japan. In particular it is concerned with immigration, nationality, prosecution of criminal cases, the treatment of offenders, protecting the rights of citizens, family registration and registration of real estate. The site offers some historical background on the administration of justice in Japan since the end of the Second World War.

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