Data Exchange at The Netherlands Ministry of Justice: Generation of Business Document XML Schemas using OWL and the UN/CEFACT CCTS

Exchanging information between government parties requires a consistent, reusable and repeatable approach to specifying messages from components. Within The Netherlands Ministry of Justice (MoJ), a program for an ontology-based approach was started in 2007, motivated by the failure of Object Models and XML Schemas to deliver a reusable component –based solution. These approaches lacked sufficient semantic consistency for transformation to message building blocks. OWL is used both for the representation of the conceptual models of legal domains, UN/CEFACT core components, and business documents (data exchange definitions). Information Analysts use the model driven Metadata Workbench to tailor and compose components to specify the business documents that make up the electronic messages. XML Schemas are then generated for use by the various MoJ organizations and systems. One of the deployed projects, the Criminal Law Chain, will be used for demonstrations, and to highlight insights and lessons learned.

Information architect of the Judicial Information Service Ministry of Justice The Netherlands Born 17 August 1973 in Enschede Studied Computer Science on the University of Twente situated in Enschede and the Open University in Heerlen The Netherlands. He started his career working for the Dutch Customs. This important investigative authority turns out to be an innovative IT organization. The design of datawarehouses and risk analyses are essential for border protection. This knowledge and additional management training took Harry Biersteker with him to the Justice Department of The Netherlands. He started to work for the Judicial Information Agency in 2006 as an information architect responsible for the electronic message exchange within the criminal law chain, alien chain and juvenile chain. Ontologies, metadata and business intelligence are his expertise. The Judicial Information Service is a key player in the identification process of prosecuted suspects and criminals in detention and supports the judicial chains with federative information systems.

Ralph Hodgson is a co-founder and executive partner at TopQuadrant, Inc, a US-based company that specializes in semantic technology consulting, training and tools. He combines expertise in semantic technologies with over 25 years of experience in business application development and deployment, consulting, software development and strategic planning. Prior to co-founding TopQuadrant, Ralph has held executive consulting positions at IBM Global Services and was the founder of Interactive Development Environments in the UK, an international CASE tools vendor. His two most recent books are "Capability Cases: a Solution Envisioning Approach" by Addison-Wesley and "Adaptive Information: Improving Business Through Semantic Interoperability, Grid Computing, and Enterprise Integration" published by John Wiley.