Should AI Decide Your Court Case? This Judge Says Yes
Geoffrey Vos, who is retiring as England’s Master of the Rolls, is urging the courts to consider using artificial intelligence to decide some civil disputes. He says AI could speed up resolutions and reduce costs, while recognising that complex commercial and sensitive family cases may still need human judges.
Vos says he uses Microsoft Copilot to find documents and navigate large volumes of material, but not to write judgments. In England, current guidance limits judges’ AI use mainly to administrative tasks; in Shenzhen, he saw AI supporting decisions in civil cases. The technology also brings risks: lawyers have cited fabricated case law, a UK solicitor has lost their practising licence partly over misuse of AI, and chatbot-assisted claims are adding pressure to courts.
In short
- Vos wants courts to consider AI for some civil cases.
- He uses Copilot for research and document searches, not judgments.
- Hallucinations and bogus claims raise concerns about wider use.
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The case for
AI could help resolve suitable, relatively straightforward civil disputes more quickly and at lower cost, making legal remedies more accessible to people who might otherwise be deterred by delay or expense. With clear limits and human oversight for complex or sensitive cases, its ability to process large volumes of material could also help courts manage growing workloads.
The case against
Court decisions affect people’s rights and livelihoods, so parties may reasonably expect a judge who can understand context, assess credibility and explain a decision in a way that is accountable and open to challenge. AI can produce convincing errors, including fabricated legal authorities, and relying on it to decide cases could make mistakes harder to detect or responsibility harder to assign.
Explained simply
England and Wales’ civil courts settle disputes between people, businesses and organisations, including arguments over contracts, money and family matters. Cases are usually decided by judges, who assess evidence and apply the law; delays and legal costs can make the process difficult to navigate.
Geoffrey Vos is a senior judge who leads the Court of Appeal’s civil division. Courts are exploring whether AI could help handle some disputes, but its role varies: judges in England are currently guided to use it mainly for administrative work, while courts in Shenzhen have used it to support civil-case decisions.
AI can process large amounts of information, but it can also produce false material, including invented legal cases. Any use in court raises questions about accuracy, cost and how decisions are checked, especially where people’s rights or family lives are at stake.