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One of the determining features in the development of the system was    [PP37]
the decision that a graphical user interface, with support for the use
of a mouse, was required: Seaman (1992). The choice of the Microsoft
Windows graphical user interface, and the Word for Windows word processing
program, dictated that only personal computers, rather than computer terminals,
could be used on the network. Seaman J stresses that the policy behind the
development of the system is to train and encourage judges to make use of the
system themselves, rather than leaving it to secretaries or associates:
Seaman (1992).


The Titan database program


The Titan database program is used at present for both the litigation support
and research components of the Judicial Support System, although the Judicial
Support System is not tied to continuing use of Titan. Titan runs under the
UNIX operating system and comes with a standard full screen text interface. It
does not run under the DOS operating system, and it is therefore necessary for
users with DOS PCs to connect to the judicial network to use any of the Titan
applications. It is not yet possible for judges to dial into the system from
outside the Supreme Court complex, nor can they use the Titan applications on
portable PCs away from the office unless they have a portable PC that runs
UNIX.

Dynacomm software was used to develop a consistent 'Windows-like' user
interface to Titan on DOS PCs. The Dynacomm application resides on the user's
PC and communicates with Titan residing on the UNIX host. Although it makes
Titan appear similar to a Windows application, it does not behave in the same
way in all respects (eg it does not provide full mouse support for menu
selections). Nevertheless, the whole system presents a consistent and up-to-
date interface.

Technically, Titan is different from most other programs used for litigation
support purposes, although to an end-user it can be made to appear quite
conventional. Titan is a database management system with some relational
database features, but it also utilises a method of retrieving unstructured
text based on superimposed coding techniques (Sachs-Davis and Ramamohanarao
(1982)). This approach has been described in simple terms as follows:

   The speed of Titan is derived from the unique indexing method
   employed. Each indexed term in a record is encoded in a single
   descriptor which is like a signature for that record. The record can
   be retrieved by providing all or part of this signature. The more of
   this signature which can be provided (ie the more query terms the
   user supplies) the fewer the records which must be accessed - and so
   the faster the query can be performed. (Knowledge Engineering (1992))
   
Titan combines the retrieval features of database management systems (DBMS)
with a variety of text retrieval techniques (see Titan Manual (1990) Ch 5 for
details). The boolean operators 'AND', 'OR' and 'NOT' may, in effect, be used,
and phrases may be searched for. It does not, however, enable as full a range
of proximity searches to be carried out as do free text retrieval systems
based on a concordance. Titan has other search features which are
sophisticated, including phonetic searches, a wide variety of pattern
searching allowing many forms of truncation (stemming), range queries,
searches restricted to particular areas of the text, and use of lookup tables.


Research components


The current research components of the system comprise Western
Australian statutes and Supreme Court cases, as detailed below.
They are searched by use of Titan, with the same

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