UK Courts Embrace AI Transcription as Part of £12M Digital Overhaul

The UK government has announced plans to expand the use of artificial intelligence in courts across England and Wales, with justice minister David Lammy revealing that Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot will be deployed for transcription services as part of a broader digital transformation initiative.

Speaking at a Microsoft AI event in London, Lammy outlined how AI technology will support various court processes including speech transcription, judgment summarization, and case scheduling. The Ministry of Justice has been one of the fastest-growing users of Copilot across the entire government, according to the minister.

The push for AI adoption comes as part of a £12 million funding boost for the Justice AI Unit, which will oversee the integration of artificial intelligence tools throughout the court system. The technology is already being tested in several areas, including transcription of meetings between offenders and probation officers, which has reportedly saved more than 25,000 hours by eliminating the need for manual note-taking.

Some immigration and asylum judges are currently using AI to assist with writing notes and remarks, while legal advisers and district judges in magistrates' courts are piloting its use for transcription and summarizing judgments. Additionally, HM Courts and Tribunals Service will introduce an AI-assisted listing tool to support case scheduling.

Lammy drew inspiration from the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, which he described as "digital by design, purposefully paperless." However, this example comes with a cautionary note - last year, an Ontario judge ordered a criminal defense lawyer to refile submissions that included fabricated cases generated by AI. Justice Joseph Kenkel described the errors as "numerous and substantial" and warned against using generative AI for legal research in such documents.

The AI expansion is part of broader efforts to address the creaking UK court system, which has faced numerous technological challenges in recent years. These include a £1.3 billion case management platform that has experienced failures, complaints about missing data in the wills search service, and concerns about hidden case files due to system bugs.

Beyond AI implementation, Lammy's plans to speed up courts and reduce case backlogs include funding for more court sessions, the use of "blitz courts" that bundle similar cases together, and physical upgrades to court facilities. Many of these ideas emerged from a review by Sir Brian Leveson published earlier this month.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the reform package is the proposal to halve the number of jury trials by removing defendants' rights to choose these for offences with sentences of less than three years. This expansion of judge-only trials faces significant opposition from many backbench Labour MPs, and the government may struggle to pass enabling legislation through Parliament.

The announcement raises important questions about the balance between technological efficiency and the fundamental principles of justice. While AI transcription and case management tools could significantly reduce delays and administrative burden, concerns remain about accuracy, transparency, and the potential for AI-generated errors to impact legal outcomes.

As courts across England and Wales prepare for this digital transformation, the experience of Ontario serves as both an inspiration and a warning about the challenges of implementing AI in sensitive legal contexts where accuracy and reliability are paramount.