Message from Hon. Justice Antonio T.

Carpio Project Backgrounder Philippine Law Journal (PLJ)

Since its founding in 1914, or almost a century ago, the PLJ has published articles on the dominant legal developments that have faced our nation. These developments have shaped our national consciousness and directed our progress, like the right to independence and self determination during the colonial period, the right to war reparations in the aftermath of World War II, the protection of human rights during Martial Law, international humanitarian law amidst internal armed conflicts, and economic globalization under the WTO. In the past, print served as the only medium for these articles. However, the influence of traditional print has substantially diminished with the advent of the digital age. The Internet has radically transformed the production, organization, and distribution of information. The global community is experiencing the immense power of the Internet to liberate individual creativity and enrich social discourse by thoroughly democratizing the way we produce information and culture.[1] Further, the Internet provides a global information and communications platform that is easily accessible and modifiable by its users at minimal cost. Organizations utilizing traditional print increasingly recognize the value of embracing full digitization. Most recently, Newsweek released its final print issue on December 2012, and commenced full digital publication after eight decades of publishing in print.[2] Similarly, the PLJ aims to capitalize on the benefits of digitization. The new PLJ website is powered by web software that can be personally managed and fully customized. This virtual platform will not only increase the readership base of the PLJ, but will also improve legal research by providing enhanced search functionalities to its users. Moreover, it will enable the PLJ to quickly release online issues that seek to address current and pressing legal developments. Our nations growing economy and maturing polity underscore the critical role of the PLJ in e nriching legal scholarship. As the premier law journal in the Philippines, the PLJ should be at the forefront of publishing legal articles that champion national welfare and interests. Through the new website, I am confident that the PLJ will maximize the benefits of digitization in order to fulfill this critical role. I trust that the PLJ will master this virtual platform and will continue to seek new avenues for the development of legal scholarship.

ANTONIO T. CARPIO Senior Associate Justice Supreme Court of the Philippines

[1] Yochai Benkler, Freedom in the Commons: Towards a Political Economy of Information, 52 DUKE L.J. 1245, 1245-46 (2003). [2] Tina Brown, A New Chapter, NEWSWEEK, Dec. 31, 2012, at 4, 4-6.