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NLJ this week: Justice tech

18 June 2021
Issue: 7937 / Categories: Legal News , Legal aid focus , Technology , Covid-19
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Lawtech may be booming, but the impact of technology on access to justice is a lot less clear, solicitor and author Roger Smith writes in this week’s NLJ.

In the first of four articles, Smith looks at the meaning of ‘access to justice’ and highlights some forward momentum in technology as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He writes: ‘Over the whole sweep of its activity, the access to justice sector should emerge from the pandemic more efficient and with leaner administration costs. Funders have seen the necessity of immediate investment to keep services going. To its immense credit, the sector has seen upgrades that might have taken years implemented in days.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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