Introducing AI, the lightsaber to the legal world! It glows with many possibilities, yet promises many dangers if wielded improperly. AI is capable of assisting with legal research, evidence gathering and drafting submissions, but further development is required for it to operate autonomously as an advocate.
The near universal accessibility of the internet in Australia has led to the simplification of many commercial activities such as retail banking and the lodging of tax returns. Conversely, navigation of the judicial system, which prior to COVID-19 had largely resisted digitalisation, remains a complex, expensive and daunting experience for most litigants. Despite the incremental acceptance of technology by the Australian judiciary, the experience of comparable common law jurisdictions suggests a transition to online courts is inevitable.
The SULS Social Justice Portfolio recently hosted the event ‘Working in Criminal Law’, discussing a variety of issues with professionals from the field of criminal law. The panel consisted of Ruth Heazlewood (RH) and Madeleine Avenell (MA) from the Public Defenders Office, Adrienne Ey (AE) and James Ly (JL) from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions NSW and Justin Wong (JW) from Streeton Lawyers. These were the highlights of the discussion:
A complete transcript of the SULS panel discussion for assignment technique held in Semester 1, 2020. The panel was moderated by Natalie Leung (SULS Vice President (Education) 2020) and consisted of Professor David Kinley (DK), Professor Simon Rice (SR), Mr Tim Pilkington (TP) and Dasha Moskalenko (DM).
