The new Online Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC), created under the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022, proposes inclusive digital standards and partnerships linking pre-action platforms, ombuds services and the courts. Prince argues for collaboration between public and private providers to create interoperable systems that ensure reliable, affordable online pathways for litigants.
While initiatives from the Ministry of Justice and Lawtech UK promise innovation, most legal tech still targets commercial users, leaving individuals behind. The challenge, Prince warns, is not just digital inclusion but credibility: without trustworthy, accessible tools co-designed with NGOs and practitioners, the justice gap will only widen—a digital divide in the making.
