Processes as Causal Glue in a Framework for Ontology-Based Responsibility Attribution Rinke Hoekstra Joost Breuker

Overview Introduction Framework Functional Ontology of Law (Andre Valente, 1995) LRI-Core Ontology Causality Detection: D IRECT General idea Example Future Work & Conclusions

Introduction

Framework

Functional Ontology of Law (Andre Valente, 1995)

LRI-Core Ontology

Causality Detection: D IRECT

General idea

Example

Future Work & Conclusions

Introduction Exercise in Computational Jurisprudence Which information, and how much, is needed for responsibility attribution. “ Causal reconstruction is a necessary (though insufficient) requirement for the attribution of responsibility”

Exercise in Computational Jurisprudence

Which information,

and how much,

is needed for responsibility attribution.

“ Causal reconstruction is a necessary (though insufficient) requirement for the attribution of responsibility”

Functional Ontology of Law Case Epistemology

LRI-Core Core Ontology Core concepts: Norm, role, document, … Reuse Unifying Framework Knowledge Acquisition Reasoning Commonsense Stance Cognitive Science Evolution/Design view Description Logics (OWL)

Core Ontology

Core concepts: Norm, role, document, …

Reuse

Unifying Framework

Knowledge Acquisition

Reasoning

Commonsense Stance

Cognitive Science

Evolution/Design view

Description Logics (OWL)

Main Categories Physical Concepts Mental Concepts Roles (Social Concepts) (Abstract Concepts) Occurrences

Physical Concepts

Mental Concepts

Roles (Social Concepts)

(Abstract Concepts)

Occurrences

Example Case : The Air Rifle “ In breach of a statute forbidding the sale to an infant under the age of 16 of dangerous weapons, the defendant sold an air rifle and ammunition to a boy of 13. The boy's mother told the boy to return the weapon to the defendant and get a refund: on the defendant's refusal to take the rifle back, the boy's mother took it from the boy and hid it. Six months later the boy found it and allowed a playmate to use it, who shot and accidentally wounded the plaintiff, destroying the sight of one eye.” (Henningsen v. Markovitz, 1928)

“ In breach of a statute forbidding the sale to an infant under the age of 16 of dangerous weapons, the defendant sold an air rifle and ammunition to a boy of 13. The boy's mother told the boy to return the weapon to the defendant and get a refund: on the defendant's refusal to take the rifle back, the boy's mother took it from the boy and hid it. Six months later the boy found it and allowed a playmate to use it, who shot and accidentally wounded the plaintiff, destroying the sight of one eye.”

(Henningsen v. Markovitz, 1928)

Legal Case Description Situation Situation Ontology State Case Description

Processes as Causal Glue Basic hypothesis: Two events are causally related if and only if there exists some process which explains their occurrence.  Classifying state-changes (events) in a case description as processes or actions.

Basic hypothesis: Two events are causally related if and only if there exists some process which explains their occurrence.

 Classifying state-changes (events) in a case description as processes or actions.

Causation by Process Physical causation Agent causation Interpersonal causation Physical process Action Communication Ontology-based: processes are pre-defined Recognition of process  evidence of causal relation

Physical causation

Agent causation

Interpersonal causation

Physical process

Action

Communication

Ontology-based: processes are pre-defined

Recognition of process  evidence of causal relation

Recognizing Processes Event Situation Situation State 1 State 2 Case Description Ontology Process Object Object pre post mapping mapping Transition part

Actions & Intentionality Situation Situation Case Description Ontology Action Object Object pre post mapping mapping Transition part Agent performs Intention

Attributing Responsibility Situation Situation Case Description Ontology Action Object Object pre post mapping mapping Transition part performs Agent F Intention

Equilibria, Attempts & Negligence Equilibria: no change, two states? Attempts: partial actions Intention/plan to perform an action Partial mapping to event structure of intended action Negligence (negative causation) Hypothetical, counterfactual reasoning (normative)

Equilibria: no change, two states?

Attempts: partial actions

Intention/plan to perform an action

Partial mapping to event structure of intended action

Negligence (negative causation)

Hypothetical, counterfactual reasoning (normative)

DIRECT Discovery of REsponsibilty and CausaliTy Built using Protégé-OWL 2.1 API (Java) DIG interface with the RACER Description Classifier Lazy generate and test Evaluation of validity by classification

Discovery of REsponsibilty and CausaliTy

Built using Protégé-OWL 2.1 API (Java)

DIG interface with the RACER Description Classifier

Lazy generate and test

Evaluation of validity by classification

Example No situations specified  loose states No events specified Purely physical, not legal

No situations specified  loose states

No events specified

Purely physical, not legal

Example Process

Smurfification yellow2green large2small large2small green2blue green2blue

Smurfification Case Three states of the same object (individual)

Three states of the same object (individual)

Conclusions Recognition of physical processes seems feasible for small number of participants Enforcing restrictions at the transition-level greatly reduces the number of processes that need to be tested.

Recognition of physical processes seems feasible for small number of participants

Enforcing restrictions at the transition-level greatly reduces the number of processes that need to be tested.

(Near) Future Work Group states into situations Specification of the occurrence of events Identity in OWL Non-trivial Toy Domain More complex problems (Roles, Actions) Advanced search/planning strategy Further extend & complete LRI-Core Legal views on relation btw. causation, responsibility & liability (Lehmann, 2001)

Group states into situations

Specification of the occurrence of events

Identity in OWL

Non-trivial Toy Domain

More complex problems (Roles, Actions)

Advanced search/planning strategy

Further extend & complete LRI-Core

Legal views on relation btw. causation, responsibility & liability (Lehmann, 2001)

That’s it LRI-Core available at: http://www.leibnizcenter.org/ontostore/lricore

LRI-Core available at: http://www.leibnizcenter.org/ontostore/lricore