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Plan for AI legal assistants in England and Wales ‘cannot replace funding and staff’, lawyers say
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Plan for AI legal assistants in England and Wales ‘cannot replace funding and staff’, lawyers say

The Guardian · Jun 8, 2026, 11:01 PM

Key takeaways

  • The chief executive of the Law Society of England and Wales has said the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated and the outcomes made public.
  • David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, will announce on Tuesday that AI assistants will be trialled in an effort to cut the backlog of court cases in England and Wales.
  • Judges are already planning to use a new AI tool to help identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together, the Ministry of Justice said.

Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.

The chief executive of the Law Society of England and Wales has said the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated and the outcomes made public. Photograph: Salivanchuk Semyon/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen. The chief executive of the Law Society of England and Wales has said the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated and the outcomes made public. Photograph: Salivanchuk Semyon/Shutterstock AI (artificial intelligence)Plan for AI legal assistants in England and Wales ‘cannot replace funding and staff’, lawyers sayDavid Lammy to announce trial of AI assistants in crown courts in effort to cut backlog of cases

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleA plan to roll out virtual legal assistants powered by artificial intelligence to crown courts has prompted warnings that the technology should not be used to “replace vital funding and additional court staff”.

David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, will announce on Tuesday that AI assistants will be trialled in an effort to cut the backlog of court cases in England and Wales.

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