Rangefindr Pilot Project

Thanks to the hard work of LiRN (Legal Information Resource Network), and through the Innovation and Equity Access to Legal Information project funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario, licensees across Ontario can now access Rangefindr, onsite and remotely! This is a pilot project that will run from September 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, and be reviewed in 2026.

What is it

Rangefindr is a research tool designed to help save licensees’ precious time in searching criminal sentencing ranges (an oft time-consuming task).

How it works

Sophisticated tags that describe useful concepts are assigned to a judgment by a domain expert. This type of indexing means searches are conducted using a variety of pre-defined filters – this is especially beneficial when you’re trying to search for cases which are difficult to locate using traditional keyword searching.

After selecting the relevant tags, Rangefindr will return results of the sentences that were imposed for similar cases. You can also read the full-text judgment.

For more information on how this human curated tag-based legal research tool works, check out Rangefindr’s White Paper on the topic: Rangefindr.ca and Tag-Based Legal Research.

Where to find it

On-site: Rangefindr is available on-site at any Ontario Courthouse Library or Great Library computer terminal.

Remote: all LSO licensees enjoy free remote access to Rangefindr. Email GreatLibrary@lso.ca for access! Note: if you have access to HeinOnline, you’re already set! Click here to login to rangefindr.ca.

Training resources

Getting Started With rangefindr.ca Guide
Short (2 minute) how-to video tutorial

30-minute online training sessions:

Discover more from Know How, the blog of the Great Library

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