Sprache und Recht – Historische Aspekte des EDV-Einsatzes

The increasing use of computers modified law and the semantics of law since the 1970s. Computers were not only supposed to be a replacement of simple typewriters; they were meant to take on a wide area of responsibilities within the legal system and help to optimize the visualisation and implementation of the law. Therefore the fields of applications seemed to be limitless. In each aspect, the Austrian legal system had to deal with various questions right from the first use of computers: how to write legal texts to enable digitalisation? How to deal with specific technical terms? The following paper focuses on the Austrian legal system facing the challenges concerning computers and jurisdiction, using the historical example of two symbolical acts (Tilgungsgesetz (Expungement Code) and Datenschutzgesetz (Data Privacy Code)).