What is the Knowledge Base?
The Knowledge Base provides an alternative way to discover legal content on judy.legal. Instead of searching by keywords, you can browse through organized categories of legal principles, cases by court and year, or legislation by jurisdiction.
Access the Knowledge Base from the main navigation menu.
Browsing by Subject Matter
The Subject Matter section organizes cases by legal principles in a hierarchical structure.
How It Works
- Start at the top level - See major legal categories like Contract Law, Criminal Law, Land Law, Torts, and more
- Drill down into sub-principles - Click any category to see its subsidiary principles
- Find relevant cases - At the deepest level, you'll see cases that establish each specific principle
Navigation
- Breadcrumb trail: Shows your path through the hierarchy (e.g., "Subject matter › Contract Law › Formation › Offer")
- Click any breadcrumb to go back to that level
- Principle cards show how many subsidiary principles exist underneath
Example Navigation Path
Subject Matter
└── Criminal Law
└── Elements of Crime
└── Mens Rea
└── [Cases establishing mens rea principles]
Following Principles
You can follow specific legal principles to stay updated:
- Navigate to a principle you're interested in
- Click "Follow for updates"
- You'll receive notifications when new cases are added
Browsing Cases
The Cases section lets you browse all cases with powerful filtering.
Available Filters
- Country tabs: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, United Kingdom, United States, West Africa
- Court filter: Filter by Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, etc.
- Year filter: Narrow down to specific years
- Search: Find cases by title, citation, judge names, or suit number
Case Information
Each case card displays:
- Case title
- Court name
- Decision date
- Citation
- Judge names
- Lawyers involved (for subscribers)
Recently Accessed
The Knowledge Base remembers your recently viewed cases, making it easy to return to cases you've been researching.
Browsing Legislation
The Legislation section provides access to all statutory materials.
Available Filters
- Country tabs: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, United Kingdom, and more
- Search: Find legislation by title, act number, or year
Legislation Information
Each legislation entry shows:
- Title and numbered title
- Year of enactment
- Amendment history (if applicable)
- Repeal status (if applicable)
Recently Visited
Your recently viewed legislation appears at the top for quick access.
Tips for Effective Browsing
- Use Subject Matter for research - When you need cases on a specific legal topic, browse by principle
- Use Cases for jurisdiction-specific research - When you need recent cases from a specific court
- Use Legislation for statutory research - When you need to find specific acts or laws
- Combine with Search - Use the Knowledge Base to discover topics, then search for specifics
Subscription Access
- Free users: Can browse the Knowledge Base structure
- Subscribers: Have full access to view all cases and detailed principle information