Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 38
38
Accepted in Part
Piecemeal digitisation hinders full adoption of digital court processes and AI capabilities
Conclusion
Despite the bold ambitions of the Ministry of Justice, the piecemeal approach that has been taken to digitisation hampers any intentions of adopting a fully digital court process. Existing systems inhibit the early adoption of AI or a move to digital court bundles despite the innovation occurring in the legal sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 154)
Government Response Summary
The government accepts in part, detailing the AI Action Plan for Justice published in July 2025 which outlines a responsible approach to AI adoption across the justice system, and highlighting ongoing HMCTS pilots for AI-powered solutions to improve court operations.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Accept in part. The AI Action Plan for Justice, published in July 2025, sets out the Ministry of Justice’s approach to responsible and proportionate AI adoption across courts, tribunals, prisons, probation and supporting services. It has been developed in consultation with the judiciary and legal services regulators and will be implemented in collaboration with our wider justice sector partners such as the Home Office, the Crown Prosecution Service and our trade unions. It complements wider government efforts to safely modernise public services and builds on the UK’s global strengths in legal services, data science, and AI innovation. As such, the Ministry of Justice has already conducted consultation into the use of AI to improve the performance and operations of the justice system. HMCTS sees the introduction of AI as a key enabler of better service provision for court users and is committed to delivering AI innovation. This must be done safely, ethically and responsibly in partnership with the judiciary. HMCTS is supporting the implementation of the AI Action Plan for Justice, and has already delivered pilots with promising results that indicate how AI could be used to improve performance and operations of the County Court including: Piloting AI-powered transcription and summarisation, to help judges process cases more efficiently while maintaining accuracy and oversight; exploring how AI can support anonymisation of judgments and documents, helping to protect privacy while maintaining transparency; and testing AI-enabled search and assistant capabilities within case management systems to help legal professionals find information more effectively. We will continue to share updates on our progress and welcome engagement from across the justice community as we work together to harness the potential of AI while safeguarding the principles of justice that underpin our legal system.