The system, coined Debian-Lex, is being developed by Jeremy Malcolm, a Perth-based lawyer and IT consultant, with help from three other attorneys, reported Australian daily The Age.
The open-source software is based on Debian GNU/Linux, a free OS and related set of tools using the Linux kernel.
Malcolm said his system aims to put an end to the problem of incompatible document formats between different parties in the Australian legal system.
"There are many proprietary software packages in the legal practice most of them do not interoperate," he was quoted as saying.
In addition to providing a framework for different software packages to access and maintain a central database of client and matter information, Malcolm said his system will provide special functions such as tools to check for conflicts of interest, as well as to search and manipulate legal transcripts and pleadings.
"Our aim is that Debian-Lex will not only sit on lawyers' desktops, but also in their accounts departments, on their office servers, and be used in court registries," he said in the report.
Debian-Lex OS is still in its development stages and is expected to be launched at the same time as the release of Debian OS version 3.1, codenamed Sarge.
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