Question
I thank the Minister for her answer. The Labour Government inherited record backlogs in the Crown court system, with victims waiting years and years to access justice. What more could the Government be doing to utilise AI and technological solutions to get the courts moving quicker to improve access to justice and, crucially, to deliver justice for victims?
Answer
I thank my hon. Friend for an excellent question. I am passionate about using technology and AI responsibly to address the problem of delays in our criminal courts. We are using AI transcription to improve open justice; we are using AI case readiness tools to help our judges to ensure that cases are ready to be heard on time; and we are using AI responsibly in the scheduling of cases. All those things will ensure greater efficiency over time in our courts.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (40/100)
The reply gives concrete, direct examples of how artificial intelligence is being used to reduce court delays, such as tools to help judges prepare cases and scheduling and transcription systems. It does not address the access-to-justice aspect of the question, says nothing about victims, and describes current activity rather than what more could be done. A member of the public would have useful information on speeding up the courts but would probably need to ask again about the remaining parts.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What more the Government could be doing to utilise AI and technological solutions to speed up court proceedings and improve access to justice, including for victims. | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete AI applications for court delays (AI case readiness tools for judges, AI scheduling, AI transcription for open justice) and says they will improve efficiency, which answers the speed-up part of the item. It does not address the access-to-justice element, says nothing about victims, and describes current activity rather than what more could be done. |