The volume of material available from PIO is amazing. It's comprehensive and easy to browse and locate individual documents, particularly using the advanced search. The content itself has been expertly scanned and is conveniently displayed. Moreover, it includes original versions of legislation, much of which is not available or so easily accessible elsewhere, particularly if it has been repealed or superseded.

While the Pepper v Hart service takes a bit of practice, and works better for some queries than others, there seems to be nothing comparable to it on any other legal information platform. It cannot be faulted for convenience and ease of use, and I understand that the search functionality is being further developed. (I look forward to being able to use Boolean connectors to conduct more targeted searches, for example.) In the circumstances, I would certainly recommend it as a lot easier and more convenient than the traditional method of scanning all the relevant printed materials by hand.

Paul Magrath (Head of Product Development and Online Content at ICLR)

Read the full article here