In recent years, we have seen unprecedented technological advancement across broad disciplines, showing great potential and revolutionising the way certain tasks are operated. Such technology is remarkably applicable in the area of law, where artificial intelligence (AI) systems are being used to automate and augment legal procedures such as legal research, e-discovery, contract drafting, and predicting litigation outcomes. In June 2020, OpenAI released a new AI system called GPT-3, a developed language model that has 175 billion parameters. Due to its size, GPT-3 can carry out specific tasks such as generating code, solving problems, and composing poems without the need to input large amounts of complex data. As it is in its beta stage, it is only accessible by a limited number of individuals. Regardless, the introduction of GPT-3 gives access to new opportunities pertinent to the field of law.

Our legal landscape is rapidly evolving, and one of the most significant disruptors of the past few years is the use of predictive analytics.

Predictive analytics refers to the forecasting of outcomes through analysing quantitative data, which allows lawyers to engage in more efficient and strategic decision-making. This includes predictive judicial analytics, which involves the analysis of judicial behaviour by looking at decision-making patterns of judicial officers and predicting the likely outcome.

It is not a question of if, but when Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be widely deployed in judicial decision-making throughout the Australian legal system. Comparable common law jurisdictions have already begun to employ machine learning. In the USA, AI is used to estimate the risk of recidivism. The department overseeing New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme has recently committed to the nation’s charter regulating the use of algorithms in governmental decision-making.

Given that justice delayed is justice denied, many jurisdictions have turned to virtual courts as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘conceptual idea of a judicial forum that has no physical presence but still provides the same justice services available in courtrooms...assessed online through videoconferencing and teleconferencing’ was forced into realisation. Critically engaging with COVID-era cases, this blog will explore the present challenges and opportunities surrounding virtual courts as well as its enduring implications on the legal sphere.

Before we look into the blockchain, we may first look at a beautiful Micronesian island named Yap. The currency on the island is stone money, which is a large doughnut-shaped stone weighing up to four tons. So how do they use it in trade? The Yapese people innovatively developed their monetary system that, without the physical transfer of such stones, they record each transaction throughout the tribe in their distributed ledger. Each family holds its own ledger and the majority of the ledgers validate a transaction.[1] It might sound a bit primitive, but in reality, it builds up a very trustworthy and verifiable system. A single person could not change or tamper the record because it exists not only between two parties but among everyone.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a subfield of artificial intelligence and linguistics concerned with the interaction between algorithms and human language. The role and characteristics of language fundamentally underpin the legal profession. Any algorithm capable of understanding, manipulating, and expressing language will have wide-ranging impacts for the legal profession. We will survey the developments of NLP, then analyse the short and long term implications for the legal profession.

The visage of Lady Justice guards the entrances of countless courtrooms around the world. But what if we were to replace Lady Justice’s blindfold with a virtual reality headset?

The legal system strives to uphold the core principles of the rule of law, procedural fairness and the presumption of innocence – all of which heavily rely upon the fair administration of justice by judges and juries in the courtroom. However, as the recent Black Lives Matter and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody protests have highlighted, prejudice against minorities has prevented these principles from being adhered to in legal systems around the world.