Source: The Law Society Gazette

Courts minister Sarah Sackman told delegates at a City of London Law Society conference that the UK has “no choice” but to embrace artificial intelligence in court processes, arguing AI-powered lawtech can cut bureaucracy, free up court and judicial time and help deliver swifter justice while preserving human judgment. The minister cited her recent visits to Singapore and meetings with LawNet Technology Services — whose AI legal assistant the page reports is used by around 75% of Singapore’s lawyers — as inspiration for the UK’s approach. The Ministry of Justice is described as developing an AI scheduling tool, AI transcription to support parties and judges, and AI-backed mediation software, and the government has announced a global business and law summit in London in December 2026 to promote English law and lawtech.

The dossier records explicit government aims to harness lawtech to unlock growth and inward investment, alongside the minister’s emphasis on building AI adoption on “a bedrock of good governance and the rule of law.” Public reaction on the page includes reader comments warning about AI “inventing cases,” producing wrong answers in tests, and the continuing need for professionals to check AI outputs; other comments underscore the potential for AI to organise evidence, spot inconsistencies and reduce administration if accountability and explanation by a professional are preserved. The article frames the initiative as a policy push with supporting examples and public debate, without reporting any judicial decisions or regulatory rulings.