09/06/2026
Courts to trial AI legal assistants
The Government plans to trial AI legal assistants in Crown Courts to address a backlog of 80,000 cases. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, says AI could save thousands of administrative hours. However, the Law Society has cautioned against using AI to reduce court staff, emphasising the need for thorough evaluation. Concerns have been raised after AI generated fictitious case law, with inaccurate citations identified in previous cases. Ian Jeffery, chief executive of the Law Society, emphasised the importance of maintaining funding and staff integrity in the justice system, insisting: “Robust safeguards are needed to protect us all.” Andrew Thomas, vice-chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said: “As all lawyers know, the devil is always in the details, and AI tools should not be used without checks and balances.”