Law360, London (August 1, 2025, 3:12 PM BST) -- The Ministry of Justice has laid out its plans to use artificial intelligence to address court backlogs and other longstanding issues facing the justice system.

The MoJ said in its action plan on Thursday that AI holds "tremendous promise" for addressing the mounting pressure on the U.K.'s justice system. It argued that the technology could help to relieve the burden on a court system that is struggling to handle increasingly high caseloads.

The ministry said it could cut the administrative burden on the justice system by deploying AI productivity tools for document processing. It could also improve the current system of case handling in call centers, the ministry said.

The MoJ noted the capacity of AI "to learn from data, handle complexity, scale effortlessly, and converse naturally," adding that it "shows great potential to help deliver swifter, fairer, and more accessible justice."

Prisons minister James Timpson, who is also the MoJ's lead on AI, described the plan as a "first-of-its-kind document." It sets goals for the rollout of AI across the justice system, which the MoJ wants to deliver within three years, "subject to funding."

The MoJ has appointed Dan James as its chief AI officer to coordinate the delivery of the plan. James is the director of the Justice AI Unit, which leads the ministry's approach to adoption of the technology.

The ministry added that it plans to approach AI by working closely alongside the judiciary, which has published its own guidelines on the technology.

"HM Courts & Tribunals Service and the judicial office are key partners in this collaboration, ensuring that judicial needs and values are reflected in the responsible deployment of AI," the MoJ said.

The plans come against the backdrop of a Crown Court backlog that has doubled since 2019, reaching almost 75,000 at the end of 2024. The government warned in March that the figure could surge to 100,000 by 2029, if the crisis continues at its current rate.

The government pledged in June up to an additional £450 million ($598 million) per year for the courts system in England and Wales by 2028/29 to boost crown court sittings to "record levels" and tackle the growing backlog. Poor productivity has been a "major factor" in the growth of the backlog since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said in a study in June.

But the MoJ stressed that it will exercise caution when it applies AI to help overcome those longstanding hurdles.

"This opportunity must be seized responsibly, ensuring that public trust, human rights, and the rule of law remain central, and AI risks are carefully managed," the ministry said.

The Law Society of England and Wales offered its support on Thursday for the government's plans. Ian Jeffery, its chief executive, said it is "necessary" to modernize the justice system, but he stressed the need to "mitigate the risks."

--Editing by Joe Millis.

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