Backlog busting tech?
The government has unveiled plans to introduce AI legal assistants in the Crown Court, as part of a wider push to cut the backlog of cases piling up in the criminal justice system.
The tools, being developed alongside legal experts and AI developers, are intended to help lawyers and court staff with routine tasks such as research and case analysis. The aim is to free up time and get cases moving faster through the system, reducing waiting times for victims.
The government has stressed the technology will be tested in “highly controlled environments” before any rollout in live court settings, to ensure it clears the bar set by judges and lawyers.
Judges are also set to use a separate AI tool to identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together, with the goal of making better use of court resources.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy said:
“Artificial intelligence has the power to transform how we live, work, and govern for the better. This impact for good can be seen in our justice system — with thousands of days of admin work saved for our probation staff, and the advent of new tools which aim to cut court backlogs and deliver swifter justice for victims.”
The announcement comes as AI in the courtroom continues to have its wobbles.
Last month Pinsent Masons was left red-faced after a High Court judge criticised the firm for relying on AI-hallucinated legal authorities during insolvency proceedings, the product of a junior lawyer’s research. Sullivan & Cromwell had already provided a cautionary tale from across the pond, after the US giant was forced to apologise to a New York bankruptcy judge for filing a document containing incorrect AI-generated citations.
So let me get this straight. Not only is the Government attempting or has already done so gotten rid of juries but now they want to implement a robot to make decisions?
Oh this is going to go so well.