Tracing technological boundaries: law, technology, and compliance?

Abstract

This issue of the International Review of Law, Computers & Technology presents some current and innovative papers from the 2021 annual BILETA conference on the theme: ‘Taken by surprise: (Re)constituting the critical in an age of digital and pandemic’. The conference was hosted online for a second year due to the ongoing global pandemic. While not the same as a ‘face-to-face’ event, it did the BILETA community proud and benefitted not only from the conference organiser, Prof Paul Maharg’s wealth of experience in using technology for legal education purposes but also Kirsty Melvin’s wizardry in facilitating the conference. For example, the conference organisers provided a social hangout space where conversations about papers continued in breaks, and new and veteran attendees alike connected and re-connected. Speaking of veterans, the Guest Editors and BILETA members take this opportunity to pay tribute to Dr Ken Russell, who sadly passed away in 2021. Ken was a stalwart of the BILETA community, a regular attendee at the annual conference and a very supportive editor, always encouraging young scholars to submit articles for publication in this journal. His loss is profound, and he is sorely missed; however, his legacy and contribution to technology and legal education will live on within BILETA and beyond, in the years to come. The papers in this special issue – edited by Prof Dinusha Mendis, Dr Kim Barker & Dr Karen Mc Cullagh – reflect that spirit, bringing together a selection of the excellent research papers presented at the 2021 conference. As the 2021 conference call stated: