The Istituto di Informatica Giuridica e Sistemi Giudiziari (Institute of Legal Informatics and Judicial Systems) – IGSG of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Council) was created in 2019 from the merger of the Istituto di Teoria e Tecniche dell’Informazione Giuridica (Institute of Legal Information Theory and Techniques) – ITTIG, located in Florence, and the Istituto di Ricerca sui Sistemi Giudiziari (Research Institute on Judicial Systems) – IRSIG, located in Bologna.

The Institute of Legal Information Theory and Techniques (ITTIG) was established, as a result of the reorganisation of the National Research Council, by the Decree of the President of the CNR of 12 October 2001, becoming operational on 1 June 2002. It resulted from the merger of two pre-existing CNR bodies: the Istituto per la Documentazione Giuridica (Institute for Legal Documentation) – IDG, based in Florence, and the Centro di Studio sul Diritto Romano e Sistemi Giuridici (Centre for the Study of Roman Law and Legal Systems) – CSDRSG, based in Rome.

The Institute for Legal Documentation (IDG) was established in 1968 on the initiative of professor Piero Fiorelli. The Institute was set up to continue the Opera del Vocabolario Giuridico Italiano (Opera of the Italian Legal Vocabulary), one of the first projects promoted by the Committee for Legal and Political Sciences of the CNR with the administrative and technical support of the Accademia della Crusca. Since the 1970s, IDG’s activity has also been oriented towards automatic documentation applied to all data of interest to legal practitioners (legislation, case law, legal literature) and also to the application of information technologies to the various fields of legal activity, as well as to the legal regulation of information and communication technologies.

The unifying element of ITTIG’s research activities has been the reinterpretation of the traditional themes of legal science through information and communication technologies, referable to the disciplines of Legal Informatics and Computer and ICTs Law. The Institute’s fields of investigation have covered a variety of areas including information retrieval methodologies and strategies, the analysis of the quality of legal texts, the measurement of law, the conceptualisation and modelling of legal reasoning, and the investigation of legal language.

Former directors of IDG/ITTIG
Dr. Sebastiano FARO (1.3.2016 – 31.5.2019), senior researcher CNR
Dr. Pietro MERCATALI (1.8.2014 – 29.2.2016), research director CNR (acting director)
Dr. Daniela TISCORNIA (1.06.2013 – 31.7.2014), research director CNR (acting director)
Dr. Costantino CIAMPI (1.12.2008 – 31.5.2013), research director CNR
Prof. Nicola PALAZZOLO (1996-2008), full professor of History of Roman Law, University of Perugia
Dr. Costantino CIAMPI (28.12.1995-31.5.1996), research director CNR (acting director)
Dr. Alvaro DONADIO (1995), general director at CNR (commissioner)
Prof. Mario G. LOSANO (1992-1994), full professor of General Theory of Law, University of Milan
Prof. Antonio A. MARTINO (1983-1992), associated professor of Political Science, University of Pisa
Prof. Francesco ONIDA (1978-1983), full professor of Ecclesiastical Law, University of Florence
Prof. Andrea ORSI BATTAGLINI (1977-1978), professor of Administrative Law, university of Siena commissioner)
Prof. Luigi LOMBARDI VALLAURI (1973-1977), full professor of Philosophy of Law, University of Florence
Prof. Salvatore TONDO (1972), professor of History of Roman Law, University of Firenze (commissioner)
Prof. Piero FIORELLI (1968-1972), full professor of History of Italian Law, University of Florence.

The Research Institute on Judicial Systems (IRSIG) was established in 1992 on the initiative of professor Giuseppe Di Federico, who served as director of the Institute until 2007. With the establishment of the Institute, Di Federico gave concrete impetus to a scientific path he had begun in 1964 and then developed from 1981 with two complementary initiatives: the creation of the Centre for Studies and Research on Judicial Systems (CeSROG) at the Department of Political Science of the University of Bologna and the activation of university chairs closely linked to research activities, namely those of “Judicial Systems”, “Judicial Organisation and Behaviour” and “Comparative Judicial Systems”. Since its creation, IRSIG has thus been able to count on a substantial accumulation of existing knowledge and professional experience, which has facilitated and enhanced its research activities. These activities have been carried on by full-time researchers, able to give research greater impetus, continuity and incisiveness.

IRSIG research activities have not been limited to the study of the rules that formally define and regulate the structure and functioning of judicial systems, following the traditional legal-formal approach, but has instead set itself the objective of analysing and evaluating the actual functioning and results achieved by the administration of justice. Topics under investigation have been therefore the functioning of new legal rules and institutions and of the various bodies the justice systems is composed of, such as courts, prosecutor’s offices, self-governing bodies of the judiciary, ministries of justice, law firms, bodies in charge of the dissemination of information technology in the administration of justice, institutions for the recruitment, initial and continuous training of justice personnel.

Former director of IRSIG
Dr. Marco FABRI (1.9.2008 – 31.5.2019)
Dr. Anna MESTITZ (1.11.2007 – 31.8. 2008)
Prof. Giuseppe DI FEDERICO (1992 – 2007)