*/
Technology will revolutionise the practice of law ‘within a generation’, the Chancellor of the High Court said.
Giving the inaugural Law Society lecture on the ‘Future of Law’, Sir Geoffrey Vos urged lawyers to think ahead and embrace innovation. Lawyers and judges, he said are renowned for being a conservative bunch and accepting change at a glacial speed. But: ‘In a world of rapid technological advance, we can no longer afford to be thought of in that way,’ he said.
Vos said dispute resolution will need to be speedier and cheaper for ‘the millennial generation, which expect to be able to obtain everything they want in an instant on their mobile devices’ and ‘will not make an exception for justice’.
He predicted that smart contracts and automated documentation will reduce the ‘grunt work’ for transactional lawyers, but said ‘talk of the end of litigation in the 21st century is overstated’ as the technology that seeks to predict the outcome of cases, cannot take into account ‘human frailties’ and emotions that motivate litigants.
Crime, he suggested will be different ‘once the digital revolution is complete’ with cyber and sex crime the most prevalent, and criminal prosecutions will reduce over the next 30 years, because of the increased use of mobile phones to record and track our movements. But he did not think that computers would replace juries.
Technology will revolutionise the practice of law ‘within a generation’, the Chancellor of the High Court said.
Giving the inaugural Law Society lecture on the ‘Future of Law’, Sir Geoffrey Vos urged lawyers to think ahead and embrace innovation. Lawyers and judges, he said are renowned for being a conservative bunch and accepting change at a glacial speed. But: ‘In a world of rapid technological advance, we can no longer afford to be thought of in that way,’ he said.
Vos said dispute resolution will need to be speedier and cheaper for ‘the millennial generation, which expect to be able to obtain everything they want in an instant on their mobile devices’ and ‘will not make an exception for justice’.
He predicted that smart contracts and automated documentation will reduce the ‘grunt work’ for transactional lawyers, but said ‘talk of the end of litigation in the 21st century is overstated’ as the technology that seeks to predict the outcome of cases, cannot take into account ‘human frailties’ and emotions that motivate litigants.
Crime, he suggested will be different ‘once the digital revolution is complete’ with cyber and sex crime the most prevalent, and criminal prosecutions will reduce over the next 30 years, because of the increased use of mobile phones to record and track our movements. But he did not think that computers would replace juries.
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
In the first of a new series, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth considers the fundamental need for financial protection
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Possibly, but many barristers are glad he did…
Mental health charity Mind BWW has received a £500 donation from drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory, AlphaBiolabs as part of its Giving Back campaign
The Institute of Neurotechnology & Law is thrilled to announce its inaugural essay competition
How to navigate open source evidence in an era of deepfakes. By Professor Yvonne McDermott Rees and Professor Alexa Koenig
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC and Lyndsey de Mestre KC take a look at the difficulties women encounter during the menopause, and offer some practical tips for individuals and chambers to make things easier
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice since January 2021, is well known for his passion for access to justice and all things digital. Perhaps less widely known is the driven personality and wanderlust that lies behind this, as Anthony Inglese CB discovers
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
No-one should have to live in sub-standard accommodation, says Antony Hodari Solicitors. We are tackling the problem of bad housing with a two-pronged approach and act on behalf of tenants in both the civil and criminal courts