AI to be used in crown courts to reduce time victims have to wait

The government is piloting the use of artificial intelligence in the crown court, with a raft of new technology projects aiming to deliver improvements across the justice system and tackle the court backlog.

These include AI legal assistants to support legal professionals and staff, and streamlined case management processes to get cases moving quicker.

The new AI legal assistants will be developed in partnership with UK legal experts and leading AI developers to support legal professionals with routine casework, including research and case analysis, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The government's plans aim to drive productivity, boost efficiency in the crown court, and reduce the time victims have to wait for their day in court.

The technology will first be trialled in a sandbox – an isolated environment that allows for the safe and controlled testing of AI.

This will ensure any new software meets the high standard required by judges and lawyers before being considered for use across UK courts.

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Judges are already planning to use a new AI tool to help identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together, the MoJ said.

This will help to maximise judicial, prosecutorial and court resources to resolve cases faster and deliver swifter justice for victims.

The announcement will be made by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy at London Tech Week on Tuesday, where he will discuss how AI can drive criminal justice system modernisation.

Mr Lammy said: "Artificial intelligence has the power to transform how we live, work and govern for the better.

"This impact for good can be seen in our justice system – with thousands of days of admin work saved for our probation staff, and the advent of new tools which aim to cut court backlogs and deliver swifter justice for victims."

Mr Lammy will also announce that every probation officer in England and Wales will now be able to use Justice Transcribe – an AI tool that automatically records and transcribes conversations with offenders.

This will reduce the hours that probation officers spend between these meetings manually transferring handwritten notes into digital systems.

'Reservations' about AI's use in justice system

Concerns have been raised about the dangers of increasing the use of AI to bring about changes in society.

A review into the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from attending a football match against Aston Villa in November found an "AI hallucination" produced by Microsoft Copilot had helped police justify the decision.

A non-existent game between Tel Aviv and West Ham was referenced in a report produced by the force ahead of the game due to the error.

The Law Society of England and Wales has previously expressed "reservations" about AI being implemented in the court system.

The number of cases waiting to be dealt with by crown courts in England and Wales reached a record high of more than 80,000 earlier this year.

This is more than double the level seen in 2019 (38,108), before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Responding to the UK government's announcement that the use of AI will be piloted in the Crown Court, Law Society of England and Wales chief executive, Ian Jeffery, said: "We welcome the MoJ's acknowledgement of the importance of ensuring safe and ethical use of any new tools, including AI.

"However, for the use of AI in the Crown Court to be effective, the pilot must be thoroughly evaluated. The outcomes of these evaluations, along with the impact of AI on the justice system, should be made public.

"While new technology should enhance access to justice, it cannot replace vital funding and additional court staff. Robust safeguards are needed to protect us all and preserve the integrity of the justice system."

(c) Sky News 2026: AI to be used in crown courts to reduce time victims have to wait