Baker Mckenzie and the the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) have announced the winners of the South African Global Legal Hackathon 2019 (GLH2019). Teams from 46 cities in 24 countries around the world participated in the world’s largest legal Hackathon that held on the 22nd-24th of February, 2019. As over 6000 participants competed in issues relating to justice and the business of law — eight teams participated at the Baker Mckenzies Johannesburg office in sandhurst South Africa.
The top 3 winners were;
Kagiso: A platform that provides both a cost-effective and fast alternative to lengthy court processes for civil disputes. The platform uses machine learning to match cases with professional mediators who have the most relevant skill sets to be effective and stores records using blockchain technology.
Bua: This is a voice-recognition system that allows victims of crime privately record statements in their own language.
O Kae Molao: This is a local language TV show that speaks directly to poor communities around South Africa, offers legal advice and helps with issues. The show will feature an SMS helpline where viewers can request help from pro bono lawyers associated with the show.
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HiiL’s Adam Oxford said, “The work that the teams showed us on Sunday evening was by far the most consistently impressive that I’ve ever seen at an event of this kind. “It’s exciting to see so many well-developed ideas emerging so fast.”
A panel of international judges will decide who attends a grand finale in New York in second round of the contest, of which the winners of the event will attend.
Darryl Bernstein, Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Practice at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg said, “There is no doubt that the ways in which law firms deliver their services are changing and law firms are becoming increasingly innovative as they adapt to client needs. The rapid advancements in tools, technology and ways of working, constitute a huge opportunity for law firms to change their service delivery models in innovative ways. Events such as the Hackathon are the perfect breeding ground for these new ideas, and it was exciting to witness some of the innovative solutions that will change the future of law.”
The top two teams were presented with a ticket to the Legal Innovation and Tech Fest, which takes place in Sandton in June, and a place on the Futures Law Faculty Legal Tech Short Course by tax consultancy AJM and legal outsourcing specialist Exigent.