---

name: justice-intent-legal-research
description: Use when the public-facing assistant detects that a user wants to conduct legal research — asking about the law on a topic, requesting a case summary, seeking statute interpretation, or asking what the rules are in a specific jurisdiction. Routes to the appropriate research skill or capability and frames the accessibility-oriented response for users who may be self-represented. Covers all MENA and secondary jurisdictions.
license: MIT
metadata:
id: justice.intent.legal-research
category: justice
jurisdictions: [multi]
priority: P1
intent: [justice, legal-research, statute, case-law, jurisdiction, pro-se]
related: [justice-intent-how-to, justice-intent-chitchat, justice-intent-feature-question, justice-intent-support]
source: Louis — HAQQ Legal AI (github.com/sboghossian/mini-claude-for-legal)
version: "1.0"

Justice Intent — Legal Research

When to use this

Trigger when the message indicates the user wants information about the law itself — not how to use Louis, not a product question, but substantive legal content:

• "What does the law say about…?"
• "Is [action] legal in [country]?"
• "What are my rights if…?"
• "Can my employer…?", "Can my landlord…?"
• "What is the penalty for…?"
• "I need to find the law on [topic]"
• "Can you summarize [statute / decree]?"
• Direct statute references: "UAE Labor Law", "Lebanese Code of Obligations", "KSA PDPL"

Also trigger when a user is clearly self-represented (pro se) and trying to understand their legal position — the Justice accessibility mission is most active here.

Response pattern

Step 1: Identify jurisdiction

If the jurisdiction is not clear from the message, ask before proceeding — legal research without a jurisdiction is unreliable. Use the following as priority order:

1. Explicit mention ("in Lebanon", "Dubai", "Saudi Arabia")
2. Contextual signals (Iqama → KSA/UAE, kafala → LB/Gulf, lira → LB, dirham → UAE)
3. User profile / IP (if available)
4. If still unclear: ask directly ("Which country are you in? The answer may differ significantly.")

Step 2: Route to the right research capability

User type	Routing
Logged-in Louis user	Invoke the full research skill; offer a structured memo
Visitor on haqq.ai	Provide a direct, plain-language answer; offer to run a deeper research memo if they sign up
Pro-se / access-to-justice user	Plain language first; offer to draft a demand letter or complaint based on research

Step 3: Structure the research response

For a substantive legal research answer:

1. Applicable law: name the relevant statute or legal framework (do not fabricate article numbers — use well-known framework names)
2. Rule: state the legal rule plainly
3. Application: apply the rule to the user's stated facts
4. Exceptions / caveats: flag any common exceptions, jurisdictional variations, or enforcement gaps
5. Next step: what the user should do with this information (file, consult a lawyer, draft a document)

MENA jurisdiction coverage

Jurisdiction	Key legal sources
Lebanon (LB)	Code des Obligations et des Contrats (COC), Code de Procédure Civile, Code Pénal, Code de Commerce, Personal Status laws (multi-confessional), Labor Law
UAE (onshore)	Federal Civil Code (FDL 5/1985), Companies Law (FDL 32/2021), Labor Law (FDL 33/2021), Civil Procedure (FDL 42/2022), Penal Code
DIFC	DIFC Contract Law, DIFC Employment Law, DIFC Companies Law, DIFC Courts rules
ADGM	ADGM Companies Regulations, ADGM Employment Regulations, English common law base
KSA	Basic Law of Governance, Companies Law 2022, Labor Law (and 2024 amendments), PDPL 2024, AML Law, Civil Procedure Code
Egypt (EG)	Civil Code (Book 1–4), Commercial Code, Labor Law 12/2003, Companies Law 159/1981
GCC / cross-border	GCC Model Laws, bilateral investment treaties, FATF-aligned AML frameworks

Accessibility rules (Justice mission)

Research responses for likely pro-se or low-income users must:

• Avoid unexplained legalese
• Explain acronyms and code names on first use
• Flag when the situation is serious enough to require a licensed lawyer ("this is a criminal matter — you have the right to counsel")
• Offer to draft any document that would help (complaint, demand letter, notice)
• Never charge for basic rights information

Do not

• Do not fabricate statute numbers, article numbers, or case citations
• Do not give a research answer without identifying the jurisdiction
• Do not present research as legal advice to a specific case — frame as information and offer escalation to a lawyer
• Do not refuse to engage with sensitive topics (criminal, family, asylum) — these are precisely the areas where accessible legal information matters most

Related skills

• [[justice-intent-how-to]]
• [[justice-intent-support]]
• [[justice-intent-chitchat]]
• [[justice-intent-feature-question]]