Digital law for low incomes

The technological revolution is proceeding at pace in the commercial sphere of the law but ‘spluttering in the field of access to justice’, according to a report into social justice and technology.

Despite restricted funding, however, there are hopeful signs with interesting projects taking place around the globe. The Legal Education Foundation report, Digital delivery of legal services to people on low incomes, published this week, surveys the highlights of the past 12 months.

Written by NLJ columnist and former Justice director Roger Smith, the report notes that social justice projects have focused on relatively low-level use of technology, for example, online chat replacing face-to-face contact.

More innovative technology such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) could play a role in certain access to justice situations, Smith says, for example, blockchain could be used to help refugees establish their identity. While commercial law firms are keen to investigate the potential of AI and blockchain and investors flock to fintech start-ups, however, social justice organisations cannot invest the same level of funds.

Smith assesses the most important developments in the past 12 months as being increased use of interactive websites and ‘the extension of assisted document self-assembly of which two really good examples come from England and Wales—www.seap.org.uk/services/c-app and www.advicenow.org.uk/pip-tool.

‘They relate to interactive guidance on applying for a disability benefit, a personal independence payment. The material helps the user to compile a case for the benefit and to understand the conditions that they must meet.’