Dipartimento
di Sistemi e Informatica
Istituto di Teoria e Tecniche
dell'Informazione Giuridica
Università degli Studi di Firenze
CNR
Automatic Translation from Textual
Representations of Laws to Formal Models
through UML
Pietro Mercatali
Francesco Romano
Luciano Boschi
Emilio Spinicci
ITTIG-CNR
DSI
{ mercatali, romano }@ittig.cnr.it
{ boschi, spinicci }@dsi.unifi.it
JURIX 2005 – 18th Annual Conference on Legal Knowledge and Information Systems
Bruxelles, December 8, 2005
Outline

Introduction

Information Extraction&Modelling
of Express Textual Amendments using UML


LexLooter plug-in



UML Modelling of the contents of a legislative text
and of the applied amendments;
Tool functionalities: UML instantiation, generation of
coordinated text;
Application example;
Conclusions and future perspectives
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
2
Introduction

Motivations:


Legislative text contents liable to Express Textual
Amendments (ETAs) may present intelligibility problems
Support for recognition and validation can be achieved
using
●
●
●

NLP and IE tools&techniques (XML markup);
Formal representation of legislative contents (UML);
Automatic generation of the coordinated text;
Goal:

Implementing a suitable software tool for automatic
processing a legislative text prone to several ETAs
●
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
LexLooter;
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
3
Outline
 Introduction
 Information
Extraction&Modelling
of Express Textual Amendments
using UML
 LexLooter
plug-in
 Conclusions
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
and future perspectives
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
4
Express Textual Amendment
(Novella)
 Kind
of normative nexus, where an active
disposition affects the passive one, by
modifying its text;
Root
Law
repeal
insertion
substitution
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Express
Textual
Amendment
Coordinated
(Enforced)
Text
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
5
ETA example

Regional Statute 43/2003, article 1, comma 1 (ETA)
1. In article 1, comma 2, of Regional Statute October 14,
1999, n. 52 (Norme sulle concessioni, le autorizzazioni e le
denunce d'inizio delle attivita' edilizie [...]), after the words
"procedimenti amministrativi," are inserted the following:
"al soddisfacimento dei bisogni sociali ed".

Regional Statute 52/1999, article 1, comma 2 (Root Law)
2. La presente legge e' finalizzata all'applicazione dei
principi di efficienza e di trasparenza nei procedimenti
amministrativi, al perseguimento contestuale del servizio al
singolo cittadino e della tutela degli interessi pubblici e
collettivi.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
6
ETA example

Regional Statute 43/2003, article 1, comma 1 (ETA)
1. In article 1, comma 2, of Regional Statute October 14,
1999, n. 52 (Norme sulle concessioni, le autorizzazioni e le
denunce d'inizio delle attivita' edilizie [...]), after the words
"procedimenti amministrativi," are inserted the following:
"al soddisfacimento dei bisogni sociali ed".

Regional Statute 52/1999, article 1, comma 2 (Root Law, modified)
2. La presente legge e' finalizzata all'applicazione dei
principi di efficienza e di trasparenza nei procedimenti
amministrativi, al soddisfacimento dei bisogni sociali ed
al perseguimento contestuale del servizio al singolo
cittadino e della tutela degli interessi pubblici e collettivi.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
7
UML Modelling

Modelling Legislative Acts

A UML Class Diagram including:
●
●

Instantiating Class Diagram for each legislative act


Structure of the Text;
Amendment Dispositions;
Generating one Object Diagram (UML 2.0) for each
analysed act
Processing algorithms for:



Search of partitions and amendment dispositions;
ETA application to Root Models;
Verification of instatiated structures;
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
8
Structure
Package NIR
 Law



type, number
date...
Articles
 Partitions





Titolo
Articolo
Comma...
Text Elements


Corpo
Rubrica...
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
9
ETA

Associated to the
partitions of the
Novella

Repeals
Insertions
Substitutions


Text strings or
entire partitions
References to
Law partitions
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
10
Coordinated
model

Change Class

Allow tracking of
applied
amendments

Included in:



Legge (Law) Class
Text Elements
Partitions
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
11
Adopted
Information Extraction tools
 LexEdit

A tool by ITTIG and CELI s.r.l. for XML structural
marking and checking of a legislative text;
 Sophia

XXI
2.1
A general-purpose FSA linguistic parser
developed by CELI s.r.l., used for automatic
recognition and XML marking of ETAs;
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
12
Document Processing
Root
Law
XML
LEXXI
XML
LEXXI
Root
Model
Structure
Model
ETA
Model
ETA
XML
Sophia
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Coordinated
Model
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
13
Model generation
T0
Root
model
T1
ETA
Model 1
T2
ETA
Model 2
T3
ETA
Model 3
...
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
...
Coordinated
Model 1
Coordinated
Model 2
Coordinated
Model 3
...
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
14
Outline
 Introduction
 Information
Extraction&Modelling
of Express Textual Amendments
using UML
 LexLooter
plug-in
 Conclusions
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
and future perspectives
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
15
LexLooter
 Main



Features
Plug-in for Eclipse 3.0 framework;
OO Design;
Integrates UML2 Eclipse library;
 Functionalities

Implementation of the proposed methodology
●
●



Parsing of XML documents
produced by LexEdit XXI and Sophia 2.1
Instatiating UML model of the analyzed act
Verification of the applied amendments
Generation of the Coordinated Text
Analysis of the text currently in force
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
16
Example of Coordinated Model
Root
Law
LEXXI
XML
LEXXI
XML
Root
Model
Structure
Model
ETA
Model
ETA
Sophia
XML
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Coordinated
Model
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
17
Coordinated Text
Generation

Coordinated model is converted in HTML using XSL
(eXtensible Stylesheet Language) Transformation;
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
18
Coordinated Text
Generation
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
19
Text in force Analysis
Root
Model
ETA
Model 1
ETA
Model 2
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Coordinated
Model 1
Coordinated
Model 2
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
20
Application Example:
Tuscany Statute 52/1999
Express Textual Amendments
Marked by Sophia
Novella
Applied by LexLooter
Str. Repeal
Str. Subst.
Str. Ins.
Str. Repeal
Str. Subst.
Str. Ins.
Part.Repeal
Part. Subst.
Part.Ins.
Part.Repeal
Part. Subst.
Part.Ins.
8
L.R. 13/2002
8
0
2
0
0
2
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
34
L.R. 43/2003
31
0
7
4
0
7
2
7
13
3
7
13
2
42
Overall

39
0
9
4
0
9
2
9
15
5
9
15
4
LexLooter successfully applied 39 of 42 ETAs
marked by Sophia (93%)
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
21
Unmodelled amendments

Presence of typing errors (2) prevent correct
matching with text extraction regex;

Missing structural XML markup of the text added by
an amendment (1)


partition (e.g. a comma) replaced by more partitions
(more commas);
text added by an amendment appears quoted in the
novella and cannot be marked by LexEdit

Text normalisation currently implemented (blank
removing, quotes reduction, …);

Regex refinement and better LexEdit integration will
allow structural markup of added partitions;
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
22
Unmarked Amendments

Unmarked amendments are also taken into
account;

Sophia only marks “well formed” amendments
according to modern drafting rules

LexLooter can estimate the number of unmarked
amendments using suitable regex matching in the
text outside Sophia markups

Suitable warnings notify the number of estimated
unmarked amendments or incorrect marking, as
well as of unmodelled elements
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
23
Next Developments
 Extending
Sophia marking rules in order “bad
formed” amendments to appear in the UML
diagram;
 Implementation
of a verification algorithm to
validate the modelled amendments

Correctness attributes in Change Class to be
instantiated in case of “well formed” or “bad
formed” amendments
(to be notified with suitable warning messages)
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
24
Outline
 Introduction
 Information
Extraction&Modelling
of Express Textual Amendments
using UML
 LexLooter
plug-in
 Conclusions
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
and future perspectives
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
25
Conclusions

The LexLooter prototype has shown its potential



as a tool supporting the recognition of a legislative text
liable to express textual amendments;
as a tool supporting the validation and verification of a
legislative text;
Further improvements include:


Definition of OCL structural constraints for the validation
of the structure of model, according to legislative drafting;
UML Interaction
●

Omondo EclipseUML / GMF
Experimentation on an extended corpus of
legislative acts is also a priority.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
26
Future Work

Interfacing with NirEditor
and adaptation of metadata (DTD NiR)

Evolution of the adopted UML model

Inclusion of further structural and textual information
●

Non-standard structures
●

Article differentiated being-in-force
Conditioned amendments
Extension of the methodology to other
documentation

Administrative acts
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
27
Open Issues (1)
 As
in other projects, the main goal of this
work is to intercept the semantics of a text by
adopting textual linguistic analysis
techniques.
 The
textual linguistic postulates three main
levels constituting the communicative act:



textual
inter-textual
extra-textual
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
28
Open Issues (2)
In this work the implemented model is built within textual
and inter-textual levels without considering the extratextual one.
 We call it the “pre-situational and static model”

The model represents a text which does not take into
account factual situations however which interacts in the
determining (in continuous evolution) of the meaning of the
text itself.

We link the “pre-situational model” to a “normativistic
model” which represents the general and abstract legal
rule.

Instead the “situational model”, is the model obtained after
the positioning of the utterance in the factual situation.

We link the “situational model” to the
“interpretative model”.

This model represents the interpreted norm.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
29
Open Issues (3)
In the following, we exemplify this through the
difference between enforcement and effectiveness

We consider the first institute saturated within textual and
inter-textual levels and the second one as a result of the
interaction between textual, inter-textual and extra-textual
levels.
●

In Italian jurisprudence, the difference between enforcement and effectiveness is often
exemplified by the war criminal code: in peace time the code is certainly enforced but not
effective. The effectiveness will depend upon wartime declaration, but also from real
situations not calculable by a representative model of the legislative system being
extraneous to the system itself. The war criminal code considers, in fact, cases of
“automatic” effectiveness (application) of war criminal law connected to some events,
without the needs of a bill, order or other and, in particular, the war declaration which
effects, for general rule, the application of the war criminal code (art. 3 c.p.m.g.)
On one hand, the enforcement is implemented by a model
built only in the textual and inter-textual level, on the other,
the effectiveness to be intercepted demands the covering of
the extra-textual level.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
30
Open Issues (4)

The building of the “situational/interpretative model” demands the
representation of events and the dynamic interaction between the events
and the text.

We believe UML, a notation potentially able to represent also extratextual level for the implementation of more efficient “interpretative
models” for the evaluation of the normative product which can be
adopted not only by the legislator, but also by lawyers who apply and
interpret the law.

Modelling such events and situations needs different UML notations
w.r.t. the static diagrams adopted to represent textual and inter-textual
levels.

UML notations for the description of dynamic aspects (i.e. sequence,
activity diagrams) should be adopted to model extra-textual level and its
interaction with the text.

We hope that the proposed issue receives the critical attention
from the computer/law community to be developed or demolished.
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
31
Thank you for your attention!
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
32
Dipartimento
di Sistemi e Informatica
Istituto di Teoria e Tecniche
dell'Informazione Giuridica
Università degli Studi di Firenze
CNR
Automatic Translation from Textual
Representations of Laws to Formal Models
through UML
Pietro Mercatali
Francesco Romano
Luciano Boschi
Emilio Spinicci
ITTIG-CNR
DSI
{ mercatali, romano }@ittig.cnr.it
{ boschi, spinicci }@dsi.unifi.it
JURIX 2005 – 18th Annual Conference on Legal Knowledge and Information Systems
Bruxelles, December 8, 2005
Additional Slides
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
34
Introduction
 Expertise

Experience on information extraction&modelling
of technical documentation
●

of DSI and ITTIG
Patents, Software Requirements Specifications;
Experience in analysing legislative texts using
structural and semantic information extraction
techniques
●
●
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Structural XML marking: NormeInRete (NIR) project,
NIR DTDs;
Semantic analysis of Express Textual Amendments;
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
35
Warnings
after Sophia XML Analysis
 Detection
of Sophia unmarked or incorrectly
marked amendments


Possible wrong tags
Assessment of unmarked
amendments
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
36
Modelling notifications

Further warnings may be produced at the end of
the UML modelling phase


typing errors
missing structural markup of added text
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
37
Unmodelled amendments

Text “Normalisation” currently implemented:





emphasized characters (è, é  e')
quotes (e.g.: “ ”  '', ` ´  ' )
removing unnecessary XML tags for the generation of
the coordinated text
(e.g.: references tag <rif…> […] </rif>)
blank removing
Next implementation:


Refinement of regular expressions for text extraction
Integration with LexEdit for the markup of added text
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
38
Next Developments
 Example
of coordinated model with verified
amendment correctness:
P. Mercatali, F. Romano
L. Boschi, E. Spinicci
Automatic Translation from Textual Representation of Laws
to Formal Models through UML
39