Software:Legalswipe (app)
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Screenshot  Legalswipe welcome screen on iPhone. | |
| Original author(s) | Legalswipe Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | June 2015[1] |
| Stable release | 6.1
/ 14 July 2015 |
| Operating system | Android, iOS |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Size | 25.6 MB |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Legal aid |
| Website | www |
Legalswipe is a free app that offers general legal advice and protection to people randomly stopped and questioned by police.[2] Christien Levien, a Canadian lawyer, conceived Legalswipe to educate civilians about their legal rights during their interaction with police. The idea of the app was born from Levien's encounter with police and his difficulty in navigating the legal system.[3][4][5][6]
Features
The free app, available for Apple and Android devices, informs its users about their rights and provides several key features through a series of simple contextual menus and cues:[7][8]
- A user-friendly navigation system (interface) provides contextual, situation-based cues to provide information related to a situation.
- A personalized message of updates about geographic location is sent to emergency contacts.
- Exact words to use and applicable rights are provided.
- Audio, photo, and video recordings are saved and uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Box.
When user feedback indicated that the navigation was challenging, the app was redesigned by a group of Humber College students in 2017.[9]
Reception
Legalswipe has been favorably received and the object of a lot of attention from Canada and the United States.[10][11] Legalswipe was launched in June 2015 and has been downloaded over 15,000 times in its first two months.[1] The app has been endorsed by former Queen's Park speaker Alvin Curling and journalist Desmond Cole.[10][12]
See also
- Inverse surveillance
- Civil and political rights
- Legal awareness
- Police brutality
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Legalswipe provides mobile based legal rights education - Milestones". August 25, 2015. http://www.legalinnovationzone.ca/team/legalswipe/.
- ↑ "Legalswipe, New App, Offers Legal Advice For Random Cop Encounters". Huffington Post Canada. June 26, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/29/new-smartphone-app-offers_n_7690380.html.
- ↑ "Is carding inherently racist?". CBC.ca. August 25, 2015. http://www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday/2015/08/25/is-carding-inherently-racist.
- ↑ "Smartphone app offers legal advice for police encounters". CTV News. June 29, 2015. http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/smartphone-app-offers-legal-advice-for-police-encounters-1.2446034.
- ↑ "Focus: Apps can unchain lawyers from desk: developer". Law Times News. February 15, 2016. http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201602155222/focus-on/focus-apps-can-unchain-lawyers-from-desk-developer.
- ↑ "Alumnus Christien Levien (’14) Creates Legal Advice App, Legalswipe". University of Ottava. July 22, 2015. https://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en/news/alumnus-christien-levien-14-creates-legal-advice-app-legalswipe.
- ↑ "New app offers legal advice for random police encounters". CP24. June 29, 2015. http://www.cp24.com/lifestyle/technology/new-app-offers-legal-advice-for-random-police-encounters-1.2446020.
- ↑ "New smartphone app offers legal advice for random police encounters". Global News. June 29, 2015. http://globalnews.ca/news/2082234/new-smartphone-app-offers-legal-advice-for-random-police-encounters.
- ↑ "Humber Students Redesign Legalswipe App". Humber. July 27, 2017. http://humber.ca/today/news/humber-students-redesign-legalswipe-app.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Lawyer-in-your-pocket app helps during police carding". Toronto Star. July 3, 2015. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/02/lawyer-in-your-pocket-app-helps-during-police-carding.html.
- ↑ A. Joseph (July 3, 2015). "Legalswipe: Lawyer-in-your-pocket app helps during police carding". Metro. http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2015/07/03/legalswipe-lawyer-in-your-pocket-app-helps-during-police-carding.html.
- ↑ "Carding? We’ve got an app for that". The Caribbean Camera. July 9, 2015. http://www.thecaribbeancamera.com/news/stories/carding-weve-got-an-app-for-that/.
External links
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