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MANILA, Philippines – Out of the 4 teams that made it to the finals of this year’s #HackSociety, LawKo stood out among the rest. (READ: Standout solutions: The winning ideas from #HackSociety 2017)
HackSociety is an ideathon that aims to crowdsource “hacks” or solutions to society’s problems.
LawKo, a Facebook chatbot, aims to bridge the knowledge gap between a complicated legal system and the Filipino public.
Legal processes and information can be hard to understand, especially for those with limited knowledge of how the government actually works.
Just last September 13, social media users expressed alarm after Quezon City police suddenly conducted inspections in bars along Katipunan Avenue. The police later said that barangay officials asked for the inspections, though concerns were raised over rights of citizens during such situations.
LawKo aims to keep the public informed by serving as an accessible “one-stop shop” that can address questions about legal processes as well as government processes.
Instead of complex terms and legalese, the chatbot will present topics on civil procedure, criminal procedure, and other pertinent law topics in a way that’s more understandable to the average Filipino user.
The chatbot can answer questions on legal procedures and make the information easier to understand. It will be able to tell users where to file a case and when to file a case, as well as give guidance on next steps in the legal process.
It does not aim to solve cases or give specific legal advice, but rather aims to be able to direct users to relevant offices and courts.
Amid fears over the spate of killings in the country, there is also a greater need for ordinary citizens to understand the legal processes and laws that can protect them.
“Legal processes shouldn’t be this hard to understand. Through these dark times, LawKo aims to shed light for the ordinary citizen,” said Alex Austria, co-creator of the chatbot.
LawKo can also provide information on common transactions, such as the process of obtaining a business permit or applying for a driver’s license.
The topics are presented in a simple format. Based on options that will be presented by the chatbot, users can just click, type, and select which procedure they would like to know more about. – Rappler.com
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