TO BE PUBLISHED March 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for the use of AI in the justice system and courts modernisation in England and Wales. It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine implications of digital transformation for judicial practice, court infrastructure, and access to justice.
With the recent publication of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part Two, as well as the Government’s AI Action Plan for Justice last year, attendees will assess policy, regulatory and operational considerations for efficiently embedding AI across the justice system.
Considering the review’s recommendations for 130 efficiency changes, sessions will assess key issues for implementation, including how AI can be utilised more effectively to prepare and schedule cases, the role of technology in supporting police preparation of files, and improving operational procedures across translation services, case disclosure, and CPS decision-making.
Ways forward for supporting the digitisation of criminal courts will also be discussed, with concerns around migration from legacy IT infrastructure and approaches to workforce upskilling. Attendees will consider priorities for the creation of an online system for recording court cases and increased reliance on video tech through remote hearings, cross-examination and sentencing, as well as pre-trial defendant communication.
Further proposed reform announced by government aiming to modernise criminal courts and tackle case backlogs will be discussed, including introducing new swift courts, which will see cases with a sentence of three years or less to be heard by a lone judge, as well as judge-only trials for technical fraud and financial cases, and increased sentencing powers for magistrates.
Delegates will consider the potential impact on court processes, judicial responsibilities, and the role of technology in supporting non-jury adjudications, including how AI systems are governed, tested and monitored in line with the Ministry of Justice’s engineering assurance model, as well as addressing concerns over the removal of legal safeguards and that wider factors - such as technology and the state of courts - are affecting efficiency.
Policy & key issues for implementation
The scope of the AI Action Plan for Justice will be discussed, looking at priorities moving forward, including for the newly established Justice AI Unit in coordinating cross-departmental implementation.
Effective practice in AI use cases will be considered, with discussion on next steps for integration of AI-enabled tools into case management, document analysis, sentence-calculation, and predictive modelling, including strategic approaches to risk classification, accountability, and AI system lifecycle management, and the extent to which deployment might impact efficiency, accessibility and fairness across the system.
Attendees will consider implications of proposals - such as the AI for All campaign, citizen-facing services, and predictive models - for offender management and rehabilitation. This also includes the AI and Data Science Ethics Framework, priorities for workforce adaptation professional standards, the use of tech and AI in reducing prison release errors, and safeguards needed to maintain transparency and accountability.
Case progression, backlogs & judicial practice
Drawing on recommendations from the independent review and the Government’s recent announcement of reforms to criminal courts, there will be a focus on how the justice system might better benchmark and deliver efficiency across court processes, looking at evaluation frameworks needed and how digital transformation can support more consistent and timely case progression.
Frameworks for balancing efficiency in case management whilst safeguarding procedural integrity will also be considered, as well as integrating digitalisation alongside legacy systems. Areas for discussion include the recommended use of AI summarisation tools for disclosure schedules, outcomes of HMCTS’ modernisation programme, the role of digital tools in case management and decision-making in light of the proposed increase in non-jury trials, and next steps for responsible AI deployment as HMCTS develop their AI Adoption Plan, including implications of AI transcription and digital case management for judicial decision-making, alongside priorities for protecting the rights of victims and defendants. Further consideration will be given to ethical dilemmas in AI recommendations for sentencing or judgement.
Sessions will examine how digital tools can reshape physical infrastructure of courts and tribunals, looking at where investment might be best channelled to address issues such as delays, the condition of the court estate, judicial and legal workforce pressures, as well as developing AI and data ethics frameworks for justice practitioners, and the introduction of new technology.
Access to justice & workforce skills
Further sessions will draw on both the Justice Committee’s Access to Justice inquiry and the Online Procedure Rules Committee’s consultation on the digital justice system, with a focus on inclusion frameworks and pre-action protocols.
Delegates will consider the impact of increased use of technology for unrepresented litigants and the extent to which digital services are currently meeting the needs of diverse user groups. Discussion will also look at addressing risks of digital exclusion, as well as preventing algorithmic bias and discrimination.
The effectiveness of user-centred design principles for online justice services will be considered, and support needed in training, skills, and regulation to equip the workforce in preparation for safe and effective deployment of emerging technologies. We also expect discussion on long-term implications of hybrid hearings and their impact on court design and user experience.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament and officials from the Ministry of Justice; Crown Prosecution Service; Health and Safety Executive; HM Courts and Tribunals Service; HM Prison and Probation Service; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; HM Revenue and Customs; Government Legal Department; Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Information Commissioner’s Office; Intellectual Property Office; National Audit Office; National Crime Agency; Competition and Markets Authority; Ofcom; Department for Transport; Department of Health and Social Care; Environment Agency; Government Office for Science; Ministry of Defence; Home Office; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
