Abstract
There is growing interest in using data analytics to identify patterns or trends in the work or behaviour of a court or judge. As more analytics-generated information about courts and judges is pumped into public discourse, questions arise about what it takes for stakeholders — both those producing or generating judicial analytics outputs, and those relying on and attempting to make sense of analytics outputs — to properly engage with that data. In this paper, we identify two related but distinct kinds of literacy required for meaningful and responsible engagement with judicial analytics outputs: (1) data and statistical literacy, that is, familiarity and facility with the basic concepts and methods required to effectively engage in (and with) quantitative research; and (2) domain literacy, which requires users to understand the unique features of the domain or area that an analytics output reflects in order to properly interpret that output with full regard for the nuances of context. Using data from and about the Supreme Court as a case study, we consider the ways that both types of literacy are essential to ensure that judicial analytics outputs further the public’s understanding of the judiciary rather than mislead, confuse or distract.
Citation Information
McGill, Jena and Salyzyn, Amy.
"Beyond the Numbers: Statistical and Data Literacy, Domain Literacy and Supreme Court of Canada Data Analytics."
The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference
115.
(2024).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60082/2563-8505.1457
https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/sclr/vol115/iss1/15
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