Expert systems in case-based law: the Hearsay Rule advisor

This paper describes an expert system on the hearsay rule, the Hearsay Rule A‘dvisor’ (HRA) and discusses solutions for the theoretical problems which arose in the process of building the system. A principal objective of this project was to design an expert system which is capable of testing various theories about the hearsay rule. The two basic questions addressed are: 1) Is there a single unifying theory which can explain the exceptions to the hearsay rule, and 2) can this theory be used as the basis for an expert system that will predict whether hearsay evidence is admissible at trial?