Softengi, a leading digital transformation service provider, is excited to announce its partnership with the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs (MLCA) in Jamaica on a project dedicated to improving the country’s Legal Information Portal, making it more accessible for the citizens.
Under the supervision of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the new Jamaica Legal Information Portal (JLIP) is meant to fulfill the increasing need of citizens, stakeholders, and international partners to access the country’s legal information, Acts of Parliament, and Jamaica Gazette publications.
The current version of the Portal is outdated and lacks a functional search feature, making it difficult for users to use it. And, unfortunately, the system’s technical limitations have hindered the implementation of this essential functionality. Furthermore, the system faced constraints on document uploads, resulting in fewer available documents than anticipated.
The goal of the project is to improve public access to Jamaican laws, educate citizens on various legal matters, assist in finding required legal information with an advanced search tool and AI chat capability, and offer a platform for individuals to express their opinions and inquire about any legal question through live support.
This initiative aligns with Jamaica’s National Development Plan, Vision 2030, and aims to foster a justice system that is open, accountable, inclusive, and effective. The project is supported by the World Bank’s Foundation for Competitiveness and Growth Project (FCGP), which seeks to strengthen the business environment in Jamaica and improve private sector competitiveness.
Marlene Malahoo Forte, the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, says, “Softengi is ranked in the top 100 global information technology outsourcing service providers by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals.”
To develop such an ambitious project as the Jamaica Legal Information Portal, which operates with more than 10,000 existing law documents and can be uploaded with additional records by the client, Softengi relied on the following technologies:
- Strapi Headless CMS and Node.js for back-end;
- Java Script for front-end;
- NodeBB for the forum part;
- OCR for digitization of thousands of existing physical documents;
- Milvus Vector Store for operating with documents;
- AI chatbot that generates answers based on information from the knowledge base.
Besides a visual overhaul of the Portal that lives up to modern UX/UI trends and vectorizing documents already contained in the previous version of the Portal, Softengi’s team consisting of 12 experts implemented three crucial features contributing to the accessibility of the solution:
- Advanced Search: Citizens can now access a list of documents relevant to their keyword or phrase.
- AI Chat: Powered by Softengi’s AI-enhanced software development framework, the chatbot generates answers to user requests based on vectorized data contained in the knowledge base, which comes from legal documents processed by OCR.
- Online Support and a Discussion Board: Users can ask questions regarding law documents, legislative acts, and other legal information, or start discussion topics to share knowledge or seek advice from other forum users.
Despite the project’s complexity and its extensive feature set – typically requiring over a year to complete – Softengi has significantly accelerated the development timeline. Commencing in April, the project is scheduled for completion in just 4 months, with User Acceptance Testing (UAT) set for August. This impressive speed was achieved thanks to a carefully chosen technology stack, a well-designed architecture, and the strategic use of pre-built services, enabling rapid progress.
The portal will serve as a centralized access point to vital legal information, promoting transparency, accessibility, and accountability in Jamaica’s justice system. The initiative aligns with broader goals of strengthening the business environment and promoting private sector-led growth outlined in the Foundations for Competitiveness and Growth Project (FCGP).
