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27 March 2026 / Ruth Pratt
Issue: 8155 / Categories: Features , Artificial intelligence , Dispute resolution
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Lawyers using AI—where are we at?

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Helpful assistant or laden with unknown traps? Ruth Pratt considers recent thoughts on AI for lawyers
  • Considers the main points to take away from the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce draft Legal Statement on Liability for AI Harms and the Civil Justice Council’s interim report and consultation on the Use of AI for Preparing Court Documents.

Both the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT) and the Civil Justice Council (CJC) have recently published consultations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). What should we as lawyers make of the ideas discussed? Do either of these consultations give us more certainty or clarity on our use of AI?

UKJT draft legal statement

This consultation was published in January by the UKJT, which is part of LawtechUK, an initiative backed by the Ministry of Justice. The draft Legal Statement on Liability for AI Harms seeks to address the tricky conundrum of AI and liability. It considers the questions of, in what circumstances, and on what legal bases, will English common law impose liability

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Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

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Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
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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