A senior judge has warned of the dangers of the use of artificial intelligence in the legal system as she says justice is threatened by fake evidence, invented case law and the potential for judicial bias.
Dame Victoria Sharp, one of the most senior judges in the country, said court users were now at risk as things like the fabrication of evidence that once required specialist skill ‘may now be available to an ordinary litigant with a smartphone.’
‘A forged email chain, a synthetic voicemail, a manipulated CCTV clip, a fake social media exchange or a false expert-looking report may be produced quickly and cheaply’ she said at a lecture last night, as reported by commentator Joshua Rozenberg.
She also warned of the inherent biases present in AI-generated text influencing a magistrate or judge saying judicial independence ‘requires not only freedom from direct pressure but freedom from hidden dependencies that shape the answer before the judge has fully reasoned her way towards it.’ Of particular concern would be reasonings created through inputting historical data which could reproduce ‘historical inequity’.
‘The danger is not a dramatic coup by machine. It is of a gradual drift: standardised prompts, standardised summaries, standardised risk scores and eventually standardised dispositions. A court system may appear formally independent while its informational architecture has been captured by technology we cannot inspect, challenge or control.’
In July 2025 the Ministry of Justice announced its plan to integrate AI into the justice system, part of a plan to create a ‘more productive and agile state – one in which AI and technology drive better, faster, and more efficient public services.’
Announcing the policy, Lord Timpson said the plan ‘will harness the power of AI to transform the public’s experience, making their interactions with the justice system simpler, faster, and more tailored to their needs.’
Earlier this month Justice Secretary David Lammy unveiled plans to integrate artificial intelligence technology into the justice system. The policies described included developing AI legal assistants with research capabilities and AI tools for judges that can ‘help identify trial-ready cases and group similar hearings together.’
