Contribution Guidelines
Developing High‑Quality Entries on the Justice Definitions Wiki
The Law & Justice Wiki is designed to serve as a comprehensive, structured, and navigable repository of knowledge on legal terms and concepts. Each entry aims to bring together all existing resources—statutory provisions, case law, official documents, research, data sources, and technological initiatives—onto a single page following a predefined structure, as illustrated in the sample entry available at: https://jdc-definitions.wikibase.wiki/wiki/Sample_term . Contributors are expected to maintain this structure so that users can easily understand the scope of the concept and access relevant materials without difficulty.
A central feature of the wiki is its Table of Contents, which is automatically generated from headings and subheadings. Contributors should therefore ensure that every resource they include is reflected through an appropriate subheading. This not only enhances readability but also ensures that the page remains navigable and logically organised.
Approaching Primary Resources
Primary resources form the backbone of each wiki entry. They include statutory provisions, case law, and official documents such as committee reports or government guidelines. The goal is not to reproduce these materials verbatim but to contextualise and simplify them so that readers can understand their relevance to the legal term.
Legal Provisions
When incorporating statutory provisions, contributors should hyperlink the relevant sections to open-access portals such as IndianKanoon, IndiaCode, or the ca2013 portal. Pinpoint references—such as specific sections, subsections, or clauses—should be used wherever possible. If a pinpoint reference is unavailable, the official gazette notification may be used instead. The wiki text should not replicate the statutory language; rather, it should offer a simplified, context-specific explanation that helps readers grasp the essence of the provision and its relevance to the concept being discussed.
Case Law
Case law should be organised under broader thematic subheadings that reflect the components of the legal term, the evolution of judicial interpretation, or areas where courts have taken divergent views. Each case should be hyperlinked to an open-access source such as IndianKanoon, DigiSCR, or the relevant court website. The accompanying text should focus on the crux of the judgment—the principle laid down, the reasoning adopted, or the dictum that makes the case significant. Lengthy factual summaries should be avoided; the emphasis should remain on the legal insight the case contributes.
Official Documents and Reports
Official documents such as committee reports, guidelines, or policy papers should be summarised in a way that clearly conveys their key observations, recommendations, or analytical insights. Contributors should cite pinpoint references such as page numbers, paragraph numbers, or chapter titles to indicate where the information has been drawn from. Wherever possible, a machine-readable version of the document should be hyperlinked. The summary should remain focused on how the document informs or contextualises the legal term.
Approaching Secondary Resources
Secondary resources include research papers, credible blogs, editorials, and social media posts that offer analysis, critique, or experiential insights. These materials help enrich the wiki entry by providing perspectives beyond primary legal sources.
Research Papers and Credible Blogs
Each research paper or credible blog should be presented under a separate subheading within the section titled “Research That Engages With…”. The subheading should follow the format: Title of the Research (Publishing Portal/Journal – Month, Year). The accompanying explanation should summarise how the research contributes to understanding the concept, including its methodology, findings, and recommendations. This ensures that readers can appreciate the scholarly engagement surrounding the term.
Blogs, Editorials, and Social Media Posts
Less formal secondary resources—such as blogs, editorials, or social media posts—may be included when they highlight ground realities, practical bottlenecks, or anecdotal experiences relevant to the concept. These should be placed under sections such as “Data Challenges”, “Way Forward”, or the “Discussion Page”, with the wiki text explicitly noting the nature of the source. These materials should be used judiciously and only when they meaningfully contribute to understanding the lived experience or practical implementation of the legal term.
Secondary resources may also be used in other sections such as “International Experience”, “Variations Across Jurisdictions”, or the introductory portion of the entry, where they help provide context or comparative insights.
Approaching Databases and Public Data Sources
The wiki entry should also capture publicly available data sources that relate to the legal term. These may include dashboards, annual reports, newsletters, or other datasets published by government bodies, courts, or statutory authorities. Each data source should be presented under a subheading named after the source itself.
Contributors should include an illustrative screenshot of the dataset or dashboard, accompanied by a description of the data fields captured, the frequency of updates, and the nature of the dataset—whether it is a real-time dashboard, an annual report, a quarterly publication, or a monthly newsletter. The source should be clearly hyperlinked. The caption for each image must include the URL from which the screenshot was taken and a pinpoint reference, such as the specific page, table, or dashboard section.
Case-Level Data Not Publicly Maintained
In many instances, case-level data relevant to a legal concept is not maintained in a consolidated public database. Contributors may still capture such information by identifying relevant case types and categories through court websites, daily orders, cause lists, or judgment repositories. The wiki text should explain how the case type or category relates to the concept and what insights can be inferred—such as filing trends, procedural bottlenecks, or common grounds for rejection. If screenshots are used, they should depict publicly accessible pages such as search results or cause lists, and the caption should specify the URL and the search filters used. It should also be clearly stated that the data is reconstructed rather than drawn from a publicly maintained dataset.
Approaching Technological Transformation
This section highlights government-led digital initiatives that make legal or justice-related services accessible online. Contributors should identify portals that offer services such as case tracking, online applications, grievance redressal, digital document access, or real-time dashboards. Each portal should be described in terms of its purpose, the services it provides, its target users, and its relevance to the legal term.
Illustrative screenshots should be included to show the nature of services offered—such as the homepage, service menus, or search interfaces. Captions should specify the URL and the exact section of the portal depicted. If the portal requires login credentials, contributors should not include screenshots from behind the login wall. Instead, they should hyperlink the official user manual or help document and summarise the services based on that material. This ensures accuracy while respecting access restrictions.
The wiki text should also highlight how the portal enhances accessibility, efficiency, or transparency, and may note any limitations, such as restricted access or inconsistent updates.
General Writing Principles
The overarching goal is to create a page that is accurate, readable, and easy to navigate, enabling users to understand the legal concept holistically.
- Across all sections, contributors should aim for clarity, neutrality, and accessibility.
- Technical terms should be explained where necessary, and hyperlinks should be functional and publicly accessible.
- Duplication should be avoided, and cross-referencing should be used where appropriate.
- Consistency is mandatory for an authoritative legal resource.
Use of Citation Styles
Contributors must follow either The Bluebook or OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) as the standard practice for all entries.
| Source Type | Recommended Format |
| Legislation | Short Name of Act (Year), Section/Article (s./art.). available at: [URL] (Accessed on DD/MM/YY). |
| Official Records | Author (Designation/Institution), Title, Doc No. (Date), Pinpoint Ref. available at: [URL] (Accessed on DD/MM/YY). |
| Research/Reports | Institution/Author, “Title of the Report,” Page Number. available at: [URL] (Accessed on DD/MM/YY). |
Use of Generative AI (LLMs)
Generative AI should be used exclusively as a language refiner, not as a research or sourcing tool.
- Permissible Use: Improving sentence structure, simplifying complex legal jargon, and summarizing text the contributor has already read to improve flow.
- Prohibited Use: Finding facts, dates, or legal definitions; copy-pasting outputs without verification; or relying on AI for citations.
- Human-First Rule: Contributors must read the source document thoroughly before using AI to polish the writing. Accuracy remains the sole responsibility of the human contributor.
Editing via the MediaWiki Visual Editor
Contributors should use the Visual Editor (the "Edit" tab) to ensure content is properly formatted and easy to navigate.
Formatting and Structures
- Paragraph Headings: Use the "Paragraph" dropdown to select Heading for main sections. This ensures proper demarcation and automated Table of Contents generation.
- Citing Sources: Click the Cite button on the toolbar. This ensures citations are correctly numbered and placed in the References section at the end of the page.
- Creating Tables: Navigate to Insert > Table. Use tables for state-wise legal differences or nomenclature variations.
- Adding Media: Go to Insert > Media to upload database screenshots. Select the "Creative Commons" license and provide a descriptive caption.
Collaboration and Commenting Features
To facilitate peer review and capture the dynamic nature of judicial updates, the wiki provides two methods for communication:
In-Text Comments (Internal Notes)
If you wish to leave a note for other editors within the text without it being visible to general readers:
- In the Visual Editor, go to Insert > More > Comment.
- Type your note (e.g., "Verification pending for recent 2025 amendment").
- This comment is only visible during the editing process, allowing for collaborative refining of content.
Page-End Discussion (The "Talk" Page)
Every page has a dedicated Discussion or Talk button at the top/end of the interface:
- Purpose: Use this for substantive debates regarding the objective nature of the content, suggestions for new sections, or noting major legislative shifts.
- Action: Click the "Discussion" tab to leave a signed comment (using ~~ in source or the signature tool in VisualEditor) to maintain a transparent record of the page's evolution.
