Modelling Legal Judgements with BDI Agents in Mercury: Analysis of the Pierson Versus Post Case

This paper implements Belief-Desire-Intention operators in the Mercury Language based on Atkinson’s formalism to simulate legal judgements, specifically analyzing the Pierson versus Post case. By showcasing how a BDI agent dynamically adapts its belief and desire system through arguments and attacks, the research underscores the critical adaptability required for legal reasoning. The interplay between law, computer science, and philosophy is examined, and technical challenges in legal decision-making automation. The purpose of the paper also aims to short the distance between the logical multiagent formalization and practical applications in artificial intelligence within the law.