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10 June 2026
Issue: 8165 / Categories: Legal News , Artificial intelligence , Technology , In Court
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Artificial intelligence roll-out to tackle Crown Court delays

Artificial intelligence (AI) legal assistants will be deployed to cut delays in the Crown Court, ministers have announced

The technology, which is yet to be developed, will assist judges, legal professionals and court staff with case management, listing and administrative processes. The Ministry of Justice said it would be built in partnership with legal experts and trialled in ‘highly controlled environments that set clear standards for safe and ethical use’.

Law Society chief executive Ian Jeffery said: ‘For the use of AI to be effective, the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated.’

David Lammy, the Lord Chancellor, announcing the plan last week, revealed probation officers have all been given Justice Transcribe, an AI tool that automatically records and transcribes conversations with offenders. He said judges in the Immigration and Asylum Tribunals are trialling a similar tool that allows them to transcribe case notes, ahead of a potential rollout across the tribunals system.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal expands Midlands residential development team

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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