{"version":"plain-language-retrieval-v1","description":"Everyday and Pidgin-style questions with the section a non-lawyer expects first. Measure top-1 and top-5 section hits through /api/v1/legal/search.","baseline_2026_10_12":{"before_topic_guide":{"hit_at_1":0.82,"hit_at_5":0.89},"after_topic_guide":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1}},"results_2026_10_17":{"note":"Section-level hits from backend/scripts/retrieval_benchmark.py on release 1999 edition, bge-m3, rrf k 60. 'fused' is production ranking; 'fallback' is keyword + topic guide when query embeddings fail. 'topic_guide_flat_with_titles' adds section-title matches, sums boosts per section and applies topic boosts flat across a section's rows. 'fallback_keeps_curated_order' keeps the topic boost on the topic's own row in curated order when dense ranking is unavailable, as in production with query embeddings disabled.","lexical_weight_1_0":{"dense":{"hit_at_1":0.82,"hit_at_5":0.93,"mrr_at_10":0.87},"lexical":{"hit_at_1":0.29,"hit_at_5":0.49,"mrr_at_10":0.36},"topic":{"hit_at_1":1,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":1},"fallback":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99},"fused":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99}},"lexical_weight_0_15":{"dense":{"hit_at_1":0.82,"hit_at_5":0.93,"mrr_at_10":0.87},"lexical":{"hit_at_1":0.29,"hit_at_5":0.49,"mrr_at_10":0.36},"topic":{"hit_at_1":1,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":1},"fallback":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99},"fused":{"hit_at_1":1,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":1}},"topic_guide_flat_with_titles":{"dense":{"hit_at_1":0.82,"hit_at_5":0.93,"mrr_at_10":0.87},"lexical":{"hit_at_1":0.29,"hit_at_5":0.49,"mrr_at_10":0.36},"topic":{"hit_at_1":1,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":1},"fallback":{"hit_at_1":0.93,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.96},"fused":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99}},"fallback_keeps_curated_order":{"dense":{"hit_at_1":0.82,"hit_at_5":0.93,"mrr_at_10":0.87},"lexical":{"hit_at_1":0.29,"hit_at_5":0.49,"mrr_at_10":0.36},"topic":{"hit_at_1":1,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":1},"fallback":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99},"fused":{"hit_at_1":0.98,"hit_at_5":1,"mrr_at_10":0.99}}},"cases":[{"query":"can police search my phone","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"can the police randomly search my phone","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"can the government read my messages","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"is it legal to tap my phone","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"privacy","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"can I be arrested without being told why","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35"]},{"query":"how long can police detain me before court","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35"]},{"query":"police detained me for 3 days without charge","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35"]},{"query":"right to bail","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35"]},{"query":"do I have the right to remain silent","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35"]},{"query":"do I have a right to a lawyer","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:35","constitution-1999:36"]},{"query":"fair trial","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:36"]},{"query":"presumed innocent until proven guilty","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:36"]},{"query":"can police torture a suspect","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:34"]},{"query":"is slavery or forced labour allowed","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:34"]},{"query":"can police kill someone during arrest","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:33"]},{"query":"right to life","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:33"]},{"query":"freedom of speech","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:39"]},{"query":"can I criticise the government on social media","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:39"]},{"query":"can I start a newspaper or TV station","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:39"]},{"query":"can I change my religion","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:38"]},{"query":"can a school force my child to attend religious instruction","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:38"]},{"query":"is it legal to protest","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:40"]},{"query":"can I join a trade union","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:40"]},{"query":"can I live in any state in Nigeria","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:41"]},{"query":"can the government stop me from leaving Nigeria","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:41"]},{"query":"discrimination because of my tribe","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:42"]},{"query":"can a woman be discriminated against because of her sex","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:42"]},{"query":"can I buy land in another state","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:43"]},{"query":"can government take my land without paying","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:44"]},{"query":"where do I go if my rights are violated","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:46"]},{"query":"how old must you be to become president","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:131"]},{"query":"who can run for president","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:131"]},{"query":"how long is the president's term","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:135"]},{"query":"how can a president be impeached","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:143"]},{"query":"requirements to become governor","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:177"]},{"query":"how can a governor be removed","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:188"]},{"query":"who qualifies as a Nigerian citizen","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:25"]},{"query":"can I hold dual citizenship","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:28"]},{"query":"can I give up my Nigerian citizenship","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:29"]},{"query":"can a state have its own police","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:214"]},{"query":"who controls the police","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:214","constitution-1999:215"]},{"query":"can the governor be sued while in office","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:308"]},{"query":"when can the president declare a state of emergency","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:305"]},{"query":"is Nigeria a secular state","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:10"]},{"query":"how is the constitution amended","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:9"]},{"query":"how many states are in Nigeria","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:3"]},{"query":"can the constitution be overridden by another law","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:1"]},{"query":"right to free education","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:18"]},{"query":"duties of a citizen","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:24"]},{"query":"how can I recall my senator","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:69"]},{"query":"who appoints ministers","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:147"]},{"query":"who appoints the chief justice","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:231"]},{"query":"wetin constitution talk about police checking my phone","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"section thirty something about privacy","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"can I refuse a phone search without a warrant","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]},{"query":"do I have to unlock my phone for police","expected_sections":["constitution-1999:37"]}],"reference_format":"instrument-slug:section"}