History
The Centre for Information Technology Law Studies (CEDI), dependent of the Law School of Universidad de Chile, is one of the first academic institutions established in Latin America for the investigations of the interactions existing between law and technology. As such, it has a long career that has involved various stages of development.
Foundation (1988-1998)
In October 1988, the Centre of Computing and Legal Data (CCIJ) is established, under the Department of Procedural Law, under the Direction of Mr. Mario Saquel. This unit had non-academic goals, carrying out training and support for administrative staff and academics. Among the notorious tasks of the CCIJ is the development of the case law database of the Law School that included one hundred years of Supreme Court rulings, laying the foundations and methodology of construction of national legal data bases.
Differentiation of technical and academic activities (1998-2003)
En 1998, Ms. Lorena Donoso takes over as the Academic Coordinator of the Centre, period during which the CCIJ changes focus, separating the tasks of computer support and the legal data services, which begins to develops as a subject of research and academic analysis.
Subsequently, the Law School will separate computer services (which are later commended to a Computer Unit) from academic activities developed by the re-named Center for Legal Informatics (ICJ).
Thanks to a Mecesup project, in that same period, the necessary infrastructure and bibliography is obtained for teaching undergraduate courses such as Computer Law and Legal Informatics, which are still taught to this day annually.
As of 2002, the Chilean Review of Computer Law starts being published, releasing eight issues in its first five years of existence, reaching a total of almost 100 specialized articles.
A Centre for Computer Law (2003-2009)
By means of decree of the Chancellor of Universidad de Chile, on November 5, 2003, the change of denomination becomes official, and CEDI is recognized as ones of the research centers of the University.
The core of activities of CEDI then changes from legal informatics towards the study and analysis of the development of computer law, considered as a unique subject, encompassing the interaction between law and technologies.
At this time begin postgraduate and graduate programs: Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Law and LLM in Information Technology and Telecommunications.
In 2008, the Centre for Studies in Computer Law diversifies its offer in graduate programs, opening the Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property and New Technologies, in collaboration with the Department of Business Law.
A Centre of law investigation of new technologies (2009-present)
In August 2009, a new Coordinator takes over CEDI, Mr. Rodrigo Rojas, leaving his post in the hands of Prof. Alex Pessó on November 5, 2010.
During this period, the focus of CEDI changes,whose subject will no longer be conceived as a single topic, but as complex and differentiated approach, trying to cover the various ways in which the law and new technologies interact. In this scenario, the LLM program is renamed and reformulated by the year 2012, becoming the LLM in Law and New Technologies.
In September 2012, CEDI becomes the recipient of its first Fondecyt project, namely, a postdoctorate program project led by Prof. Salvador Millaleo on criminal liability of Internet intermediaries.
On November 26, 2012, the first issue of the Chilean Review of Law and Technology (RChDT) is released, under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Álvarez. The RChDT has been indexed in international journals repositories, like Scopus, SciELO Chile, WOS-ESCI, among others, becoming one of the most prestigious journal in the field of Law.
In October 2018, prof. Daniel Álvarez assumes the Academic Coordination of CEDI, with the mission of reinforcing the activity that the center has performed for more than 30 years, focusing on expanding the academic offer of postgraduate courses and continuing education in areas such as cybersecurity, cyberdefense, personal data protection and computer crimes, among others.