diff --git a/DISCLAIMER.md b/DISCLAIMER.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a4591d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/DISCLAIMER.md @@ -0,0 +1,205 @@ +# Legal Disclaimer + +**READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE** + +## Not Legal Advice + +This software (the "Tool") is provided for **informational and research purposes only**. It does **NOT** constitute professional legal advice, and must not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel. + +### What This Means + +- **No Attorney-Client Relationship**: Use of this Tool does not create an attorney-client relationship +- **No Professional Responsibility**: The authors and contributors assume no professional responsibility for decisions made based on information from this Tool +- **Verification Required**: ALL legal information, citations, and conclusions must be independently verified with official sources and qualified legal professionals before being relied upon + +## Professional Use Warnings + +### For Legal Professionals + +If you are a lawyer, legal researcher, or other legal professional: + +- **Malpractice Risk**: Relying on unverified information from this Tool in professional legal work may constitute professional malpractice +- **Professional Obligations**: You remain solely responsible for verifying all citations, statutes, and legal positions before advising clients or filing documents +- **Professional Rules**: Israel Bar Association members must comply with applicable professional conduct rules when using AI tools +- **Client Disclosure**: Consider whether professional ethics rules require disclosing AI tool use to clients + +### Duty of Independent Verification + +**YOU MUST VERIFY EVERYTHING.** Do not cite, quote, or rely on any provision, case law, or legal interpretation from this Tool without: + +1. Checking the official source (Knesset (knesset.gov.il), Nevo) +2. Verifying the provision is currently in force and has not been amended +3. Reading the full context of cited provisions +4. Consulting case law and preparatory works for interpretation +5. Considering how recent legal developments may affect the matter + +## Data Authority and Limitations + +### Source Authority + +This Tool aggregates data from official Israel legal databases. However: + +| Source Type | Authority Level | Use Case | +|------------|----------------|----------| +| **Official government databases** | Authoritative | Statute text (primary reference) | +| **Community/open-data sources** | Supplementary | Case law, cross-references (verify independently) | +| **EUR-Lex / treaty databases** | Authoritative for international law | International obligations metadata | + +**CRITICAL**: Community-maintained resources are **NOT** official government publications. While generally reliable, they may contain transcription errors, outdated information, or incomplete coverage. + +### Commercial Legal Databases + +For professional legal work, **always cross-check with commercial legal databases** such as: + +- Nevo, Takdin, PsakDin + +These services provide editorial oversight, comprehensive annotations, and professional-grade currency guarantees that this Tool **cannot** provide. + +## Currency and Staleness + +### No Real-Time Updates + +- Database updates are **manual** and may lag official publications by **weeks or months** +- Israel law changes continuously through new statutes, amendments, and court decisions +- **Last-updated timestamps** in tool responses indicate data age, but should be treated as unreliable + +### Staleness Warnings + +The Tool includes staleness warnings when data is >30 days old. **These warnings are not exhaustive**: + +- Even "fresh" data may be outdated if recent amendments were published +- Staleness warnings do not guarantee completeness or accuracy +- Always check official sources for the current legal position + +### Amendments and Repeals + +- A provision marked "in force" may have been: + - Amended after the last database update + - Repealed but not yet removed from the database + - Subject to transitional rules affecting its applicability +- The Tool does **NOT** automatically track amendments in real-time + +## Coverage Gaps + +### What's Missing + +This Tool does **NOT** include: + +1. **Complete case law** -- Coverage is limited; do not rely solely on this for case law research +2. **Historical statute versions** -- Limited availability of historical provision wording +3. **Legal commentary** -- No editorial annotations, academic commentary, or practice guides +4. **Unpublished decisions** -- Lower court decisions and administrative rulings largely absent +5. **Full legislative history** -- Limited coverage of preparatory works and explanatory memoranda + +### Impact on Professional Use + +These gaps mean: + +- **Incomplete Legal Research**: Tool results are inherently incomplete and may miss critical authorities +- **Context Missing**: Without commentary and preparatory works, interpretation may be incorrect +- **International Law Blind Spots**: Cannot fully assess international treaty obligations or compliance + +## No Warranties + +### "AS IS" -- No Guarantees + +Per the Apache 2.0 license (see [LICENSE](LICENSE)): + +- **NO WARRANTY OF ACCURACY**: Data may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information +- **NO WARRANTY OF COMPLETENESS**: Searches may miss relevant provisions or cases +- **NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS**: Not warranted as fit for professional legal use +- **NO WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT**: No guarantee that use complies with professional rules or regulations + +### Limitation of Liability + +- Authors and contributors are **NOT LIABLE** for damages arising from use of this Tool +- This includes but is not limited to: + - Professional malpractice claims + - Lost cases or adverse judgments + - Client harm from erroneous advice + - Regulatory sanctions + - Reputational damage + +## AI-Generated Content + +This Tool uses **algorithmic search and ranking** that may: + +- Return irrelevant or misleading results +- Miss critical provisions +- Rank less relevant provisions higher than more relevant ones +- Make errors in parsing, citation formatting, or cross-referencing + +**Human review is MANDATORY** before relying on any AI-generated search results or analysis. + +## EU AI Act Compliance + +This Tool is a **general-purpose AI system** under the EU AI Act. It is NOT a high-risk "administration of justice" system (which applies to AI used by courts and prosecutors for case outcomes). + +### Transparency Obligations (Article 50, 52) + +- **AI Disclosure**: This Tool uses AI/algorithmic methods for search and ranking +- **User Awareness**: Users are notified that results are AI-generated and require verification +- **Transparency**: This documentation provides information about limitations and risks + +### User Obligations + +- **Verify AI Output**: Always verify AI-generated citations and search results +- **Human Oversight**: Do not use Tool output in professional legal work without human review +- **Professional Rules**: Comply with applicable professional ethics rules regarding AI tool use + +## Professional Ethics Considerations + +### Confidentiality + +- See [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md) for detailed confidentiality considerations (if available) +- **Query Data**: Queries made through the Claude API may be logged by Anthropic (subject to their privacy policy) +- **Client Information**: Do not include client names, case-specific details, or confidential information in queries +- **Sensitive Matters**: For privileged legal matters, consider on-premise deployment + +### Competence and Diligence + +Using this Tool does not reduce your professional obligations to: + +- Exercise independent legal judgment +- Conduct thorough legal research using authoritative sources +- Stay current with legal developments +- Provide competent representation + +## Recommended Workflow for Professional Use + +1. **Initial Research**: Use Tool for preliminary research and hypothesis generation +2. **Official Verification**: Cross-check ALL results with official sources (Knesset (knesset.gov.il), Nevo) +3. **Commercial Databases**: Use professional legal databases for authoritative, annotated versions +4. **Professional Judgment**: Apply independent legal analysis and professional judgment +5. **Document Sources**: Cite official sources in legal work, not this Tool +6. **Update Check**: Before finalizing legal work, check for recent amendments and decisions + +## Changes to This Disclaimer + +This disclaimer may be updated as the Tool evolves or legal/regulatory requirements change. Check the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/Ansvar-Systems/Israel-law-mcp) for the current version. + +## Questions? + +For questions about this disclaimer or the Tool's limitations, please open an issue on GitHub: +https://github.com/Ansvar-Systems/Israel-law-mcp/issues + +--- + +**Last Updated**: 2026-02-20 + +--- + +## Summary: What You Must Do + +- **ALWAYS VERIFY** all legal information with official sources +- **NEVER RELY** on this Tool as sole basis for legal advice or professional work +- **UNDERSTAND** this is a research aid, not a substitute for professional legal databases +- **ACKNOWLEDGE** data may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect +- **COMPLY** with professional ethics rules regarding AI tool use and client confidentiality +- **DISCLOSE** to clients if required by professional rules + +- **DO NOT** cite this Tool as an authority in legal documents +- **DO NOT** use in professional legal work without independent verification +- **DO NOT** rely on staleness warnings as guarantee of currency +- **DO NOT** assume coverage is complete or comprehensive +- **DO NOT** include confidential client information in queries