Preface

• Author: Karen Eltis
• Profession: University of Ottawa Columbia Law School
• Pages: 11-11

xi

PR EFACE

e impact of the Internet on judges, litigants, and the justice system more

broadly cannot, and must not, be underestimated. And yet, surprisingly,

very little if any thing signicant has been written on point, at a ti me when

guidance is of the essence. Accordingly, this book task s itself with alerting

courts in part icular, but also litigants and their attorneys, to some of the

cardinal issues arising from the advent of digital technology. Rather than

sparking alar m or resignation (which is lamentably oen the case with

some discussions of technology), the main objective is to draw attention to

the relevant issues, in the rm belief that awareness can serve to alleviate

many of the problems the digital age can cause t he uninitiated. Much of

the material for this book originated in a series of conference papers and

law joumal publications over the past ve years, during which time I have

focused on addressing this broader phenomenon and its various mani-

festations. I am particu larly grateful for the valuable comments I received

during my time with the National Judicial Institute, at a series of Inter-

national Organization for Judicial Training (IOJT) conferences touching

on related themes, and at Columbia Law School.