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Legal Profession: Artificial Intelligence

Answer

The regulation and oversight of legal professionals is a matter for the independent legal services regulators, who are responsible for ensuring that regulated professionals and firms continue to meet their professional and ethical obligations, including when preparing material for court proceedings.

Legal professionals are required to ensure that any use of AI complies with their existing duties (including duties to the court) relating to confidentiality, data protection, competence and the proper administration of justice. These duties apply to the preparation of court submissions and evidence. Where professionals breach those duties, or are suspected of misconduct, regulators have the power to investigate and take disciplinary action where appropriate.

Regulators are taking steps to ensure compliance in this area. For example, recent guidance issued by the Bar Standards Board makes clear that the use of AI in preparing court submissions is likely to be a higher-risk activity and emphasises that practitioners remain personally responsible for the accuracy and integrity of any material submitted to the court, including where AI tools are used. The guidance makes clear that legal professionals must verify their work, ensure compliance with court rules and evidential requirements and not rely on AI-generated content without appropriate scrutiny.

The Government continues to back the safe and responsible adoption of AI across the legal services sector by working closely with regulators to support innovation while upholding robust professional and consumer protections. The Government encourages the regulators to update their guidance accordingly where necessary.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

HL589

Session

2026-27

Subjects

Courts Legal profession Artificial intelligence

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk