The Law Society of Libya

The Law Society of Libya (المجمع القانوني الليبي) is a civil society organisation dedicated to the digitalisation, archiving, and indexing of legal documents spanning over 80 years of national history, alongside contemporary publications. Established in 2022, this initiative aims to facilitate the accessibility and searchability of legal resources for professionals and the public, contributing to wider efforts to address Libya's 170th ranking out of 180 countries on the 2023 Transparency International Index.

Through its searchable digital platform, the Law Society of Libya has effectively made over 300,000 pages of Libyan state documentation available, digitalised, categorised, and more accessible. Its platform is frequently referenced by Libyan institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Customs Authority and the Information and Documentation Centre. The platform is additionally referenced by foreign governments such as the United Kingdom, the European Commission, Canada, Germany, Turkey, and for their respective needs in travel advice, intellectual property, immigration, trade and public procurement.

To have most current legal information available, it is continuously updated, offering an accurate, unbiased, and reliable legal norms and practices in Libya.

History
In response to the complex legal and political challenges that emerged in Libya post-2011, the Law Society of Libya established its digital platform in February 2022. This platform has become a crucial tool for accessing justice and legal services, which were severely hindered by the fragmented and transitional nature of Libyan governmental structures.

The platform organises and digitises a broad spectrum of Libyan legislation, providing a valuable resource for legal professionals, scholars, and the general public. It contains extensive collections of laws (commercial, civil, criminal, and administrative laws), decisions, decrees, and treaties, facilitating the navigation and application of Libyan law, including educational materials (guides, summaries, and explanations of complex legal concepts from property rights to criminal procedures), workshops and seminars open to the public and legal professionals to make it approachable for non-professionals, encouraging collaboration. It also offers case law analyses and professional development opportunities to promotes a more informed and engaged society.

Originally established as a non-governmental and non-profit initiative to digitise legal publications, the platform has evolved, in the absence of an official national initiative, to serve as the de facto Libyan government gazette. In doing so, it maintains an apolitical stance and independence from governmental influence, ensuring the accessibility and transparency of Libya's legal information and guaranteeing credible, reliable publications without opinions or modifications.

Legal framework
The Law Society of Libya is registered as a local non-governmental organisation in Libya under registration number 2022–322 with the Civil Society Commission, operating within the guidelines of Resolution 286 of 2019 AD issued by the Presidential Council.

Impact and contributions
The Law Society of Libya's digital platform has made over 300,000 pages of Libyan state documentation available online, organising a vast archive that includes 19 constitutions, 393 agreements and treaties, 1,939 laws, 590 regulations, 5,679 decisions, 706 decrees, 235 circulars, 31 drafts, 1,623 appeals, 35 legal opinions, 246 trademarks, and 1,981 issues of the Official Gazette as of May 2024. This extensive resource supports civil society organisations,     legal professionals, news agencies,    scholars,        and the public by facilitating access to and understanding of Libyan law, where historians can seek socio-political influences on legislation, which also provides historical legal documents and offers a crucial resource to researchers.