Example of Normalized English Input to NLESB
Normalized English has been developed by Layman E. Allen and his colleagues;
see for example,
Layman E. Allen,
``Language, Law and Logic: Plain Legal Drafting for the Electronic Age,''
Computer Science and Law (Bryan Niblett ed.), 1980, pp. 75-100.
Normalized language has been used in the Tennessee statutes
(Tenn. Code Ann. sect. 33-6-104(a) (1991)).
An example of the form of Normalized English used as input to
the NLESB system follows.
Note that the formatting is for the sake of readability, and is not necessary for NLESB.
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Subsection (a). IF AND ONLY IF
(1)(A) A person has threatened or attempted suicide or to inflict serious
bodily harm on himself, OR
(B) The person has threatened or attempted homicide or other violent
behavior, OR
(C) The person has placed others in reasonable fear of violent behavior
and serious physical harm to them, OR
(D) The person is unable to avoid severe impairment or injury from
specific risks, AND
(2) There is a substantial likelihood that such harm will occur,
THEN
(3) The person poses a "substantial likelihood of serious harm" for
purposes of subsection (b).
Subsection (b). IF AND ONLY IF
(1) A person is mentally ill, AND
(2) The person poses a substantial likelihood of serious harm because of
the mental illness, AND
(3) The person needs care, training, or treatment because of the mental
illness, AND
(4) All available less drastic alternatives to placement in a hospital or
treatment resource are unsuitable to meet the needs of the person,
THEN
(5) The person may be judicially committed to involuntary care and
treatment in a hospital or treatment resource.
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Bruce MacLennan / MacLennan@cs.utk.edu
Last updated:
96/06/07