Suggestion Legal Forum

[ScubaDocER]

I was reading a post by Peter Guy today that got me to thinking. He commented on the amount of misinformation that exists about legal issues concerning diving. Is there an interest in creating a Legal Forum that would address the plethora of legal questions related to diving that seem to appear on the Board? Some questions get asked over and over and I did not know if the legal folks on SB would be willing to help moderate it or at least make sure it's moving in the right direction. We have a Medical Forum here, why not a Legal Forum. What say yee?

 

[Thalassamania]

I think it's a great idea.

 

[tc]

Actually, we used to have one under the instructor forum. It seems to be missing now, if I recall correctly it wasn't used often.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

It could be a good idea, but it could be taken the wrong way. I could just see someone thinking that they would be safe from this law suit, or that some specific law didn't apply to them, after reading about it here only to find the thread was wrong or the laws are applied differently in some local. If there is one it should have a big disclaimer or extra rules about seeking local legal counsel and that laws may be much different in different countries.

 

[Gombessa]

I think the intent is good, but I'm afraid every thread would become a huge CF, since 1) everyone thinks they understand the law (commerce clause, anyone?) and 2) so many questions would be jurisdictional.

 

[Thalassamania]

People just need to keep their roles and locations clear. Posters should identify themselves as Judge, Lawyer, Expert Witness, whatever, and where they've worked.

 

[ScubaDocER]

It could be a good idea, but it could be taken the wrong way. I could just see someone thinking that they would be safe from this law suit, or that some specific law didn't apply to them, after reading about it here only to find the thread was wrong or the laws are applied differently in some local. If there is one it should have a big disclaimer or extra rules about seeking local legal counsel and that laws may be much different in different countries.

I agree that there is certainly the potential for confusion and misunderstanding. I feel the same way as a doctor posting in the dive medicine section. Despite that, the Dive Medicine Forum seems to thrive mostly because of the way the docs there post and that we often try to direct people to follow up with their own doctors. Grant it that the way one practices medicine is more consistent than the way lawyers practice law (medicine in Texas is the same as medicine in New York for example). I still believe that the legal folks on the forum offer a wealth of information and guidance to Instructors, DMs, and divers all the time. This is just a way of putting all of that information in one location so that it is easier to find.

 

[RJP]

Actually, we used to have one under the instructor forum. It seems to be missing now, if I recall correctly it wasn't used often.

That might have been due in some part to the fact that it was in the Instructor forum. Seems to be a topic of broader interest than just to Instructors.

 

[ScubaDocER]

I am curious as to what the attorneys and other legal minds think about this idea. Would you guys be interested in having such a forum or would it be more of a hassle and/or an inconvenience?

 

[The Chairman]

I wonder if ANY attorneys would like this. Good questions.