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10 June 2026
Issue: 8165 / Categories: Legal News , Artificial intelligence , Technology , In Court
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Artificial intelligence roll-out to tackle Crown Court delays

Artificial intelligence (AI) legal assistants will be deployed to cut delays in the Crown Court, ministers have announced

The technology, which is yet to be developed, will assist judges, legal professionals and court staff with case management, listing and administrative processes. The Ministry of Justice said it would be built in partnership with legal experts and trialled in ‘highly controlled environments that set clear standards for safe and ethical use’.

Law Society chief executive Ian Jeffery said: ‘For the use of AI to be effective, the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated.’

David Lammy, the Lord Chancellor, announcing the plan last week, revealed probation officers have all been given Justice Transcribe, an AI tool that automatically records and transcribes conversations with offenders. He said judges in the Immigration and Asylum Tribunals are trialling a similar tool that allows them to transcribe case notes, ahead of a potential rollout across the tribunals system.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

From childhood dreams of the Bar to some of the country's most challenging cases, Maryam Syed KC explains why she has never stopped standing up for others

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft significantly expands Cyber team, hiring three Cyber partners

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson appoints senior healthcare leader Professor Clive Kay as strategic adviser

NEWS
As family justice moves further away from the courtroom, collaborative law is emerging as an increasingly important route to resolving separation disputes
A busy period for employment law is producing important lessons for employers, employees and tribunals alike
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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