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Justis pioneer and co-founder dies

Norman Nunn-Price, legal database pioneer and co-founder of Context – the original name of Justis Publishing – has died aged 81.

Born in Cardiff and graduating from that city’s university with a degree in mathematics and physics, Norman served in the navy during the war. Following a spell developing sonar for submarines with the Royal Navy Scientific Service, he moved to the Atomic Energy Authority. It was here in the 1960s that his interest in legal search systems blossomed as a result of his work on STATUS, a system created to analyse the Atomic Energy Act.

This was followed by a high-profile consultancy with the European Commission, where he oversaw a multi-national project that formed the foundation for much of the development of computer-based legal databases in EU member states. This was the springboard for Norman’s work on two major commercial applications of this technology: Eurolex and the initial Context database.

Eurolex, which he helped design and build in the early 80s, was a large-scale legal database covering all aspects of British and European laws. This led in 1985 to his post as a founder director of Context Ltd, where he and his former Eurolex colleague Masoud Gerami built the company’s – and the UK’s – first database for European Community Law.

Masoud, who went on to become Justis Publishing’s managing director, said: “Norman worked tirelessly and passionately for the company until his retirement a few years ago. He was a wonderful man who was liked and respected by all and will be remembered as a pioneer in the field of legal information dissemination.”

But his activities weren’t confined to the commercial sector. His public service roles included work as a magistrate and active membership of the Labour Party, from which he received a Merit Award in 1997. Cllr Ray Puddifoot, Leader of Hillingdon Council in northwest London, where Norman served as a councillor for the last fourteen years of his life, added: “He was one of life’s true gentlemen and will be sadly missed by us all” – a sentiment shared by all at Justis Publishing and many in its loyal user community.

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