Britain's creaking courts to use Copilot for transcriptions
The Register
February 26, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The British government is expanding its use of AI in courts across England and Wales to improve efficiency and reduce backlogs. Justice Minister David Lammy announced at a Microsoft AI event that tools like Copilot will be utilized for tasks such as transcribing speech, summarizing judgments, and scheduling cases. This move follows the Ministry of Justice's successful adoption of AI, which has already saved significant time by automating processes like note-taking during offender meetings—reportedly saving over 25,000 hours so far.
Lammy highlighted plans to allocate £12 million in additional funding for the Justice AI Unit, alongside new tools like an AI-assisted case scheduling system. These efforts aim to modernize the court system, which has faced criticism for inefficiencies and delays. While Lammy praised Ontario’s fully digital court system as a model, he also acknowledged challenges, such as errors in AI-generated legal documents that led to issues in Canadian courts.
The integration of AI into the UK justice system is part of broader reforms, including increased funding for court sessions, the use of "blitz courts" to bundle similar cases, and physical upgrades to court facilities. However, some proposed changes—such as limiting jury trials for less severe offenses—are controversial, with opposition from Labour MPs potentially complicating their implementation.
This push for AI-driven justice system modernization reflects a global trend toward leveraging technology to address inefficiencies in legal processes. While it promises faster and more accurate services, questions remain about the reliability of AI tools and their impact on traditional judicial practices. The success of these initiatives will depend on balancing innovation with accountability and ensuring that AI systems are transparent, secure, and capable of handling the complexities of legal proceedings.
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Originally published on The Register on 2/26/2026