The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators and the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), operates independently of government. Legal services providers handle complaints about their services in the first instance. The OLC administers the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) scheme, which considers service complaints that have not been resolved by providers, while the legal services regulators consider concerns about professional conduct. The Legal Services Board (LSB) oversees the legal services regulators and the OLC.

The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of AI-generated complaints. However, through its regular engagement with these bodies, the Ministry of Justice is aware that AI can help consumers articulate and pursue complaints but may also increase demand and place additional pressure on complaints-handling services.

For example, the LeO has reported a record 37% increase in new complaints in 2025–26. It has identified increased use of AI as a driver of this demand and also as a factor increasing the complexity of the complaints it receives. The OLC is responding through operational improvements and a longer-term transformation programme, using technology and AI.

The recently published independent review of the LSB also recognises the importance of maintaining effective consumer redress and ensuring the legal services regulatory framework is equipped to respond to emerging risks, including those associated with technology and AI. The Government is considering the review's recommendations and will set out its response in due course.

The Government welcomes the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce's Legal Statement on Liability for AI Harms, which provides helpful analysis of how existing principles of English law may apply to liability arising from the use of AI.

Decisions about the professional standards expected of legal practitioners, including the competent use of AI and other technologies, are matters for the independent legal services regulators. In 2024, the Legal Services Board issued statutory guidance encouraging regulators to support the responsible adoption of technology by improving access to legal services, balancing the benefits and risks of innovation and fostering a regulatory environment that provides greater clarity for technology providers and innovators.

Building on this, the Ministry of Justice has worked with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Legal Services Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the Information Commissioner's Office to establish the Advisory AI Growth Lab for legal services, launched in June 2026. The Growth Lab brings together Government and regulators to provide coordinated, non-binding advice on how existing regulatory frameworks apply to AI-enabled products and services, giving organisations greater confidence to innovate responsibly while ensuring legal professionals continue to meet their existing regulatory obligations.

Section 66D of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides information on how to interpret the “sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film” offences in section 66B. Section 66D(2) states, “A person “shares” something if the person, by any means, gives or shows it to another person or makes it available to another person.”

“By any means” would include the sharing of such images without consent using digital tools such as a chatbot, app or other software, if a person has requested or prompted the digital tool to do so, whether as part of the creation of the image or as a separate act.

Section 98 and Section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will be commenced by regulations as soon as reasonably practicable. We must ensure that there is sufficient time to consider and manage the impact on the criminal justice system and for law enforcement to update guidance as well as train prosecutors and police officers.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence on the capacity of corporate in-house legal teams to deliver legal services. However, we recognise the potential for AI-enabled tools to improve access to legal information and support, including by helping individuals better understand legal processes and prepare documents.

The Ministry of Justice supports responsible innovation through LawtechUK and in February we announced a further £4.5 million funding for the next 3 years. More recently, the Government also announced the Advisory AI Growth Lab for legal services. These initiatives are designed to help legal technology develop in a way that supports affordable, accessible and high-quality services.

The Government also 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 and encouraging them to update their guidance accordingly where necessary.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the impact of artificial intelligence legal services on access to legal representation in lower-value civil claims. However, we recognise the potential for AI-enabled tools to improve access to legal information and support, including by helping individuals better understand legal processes and prepare documents.

The Ministry of Justice supports responsible innovation. In February we announced a further £4.5 million funding for the next 3 years for LawtechUK and the Government has also set up the new AI Growth Lab for legal services. These initiatives are designed to help legal technology develop in a way that supports affordable, accessible and high-quality services.

The Ministry of Justice requires AI tools to be tested and evaluated for accuracy, bias, fairness and reliability before they are deployed and their performance is monitored on an ongoing basis. AI tools are used to assist, not replace, professional judgement. Their products are reviewed by a qualified person and verified against authoritative sources before being relied upon. Oversight is provided by the Department's senior AI, digital and technical leadership.

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.

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, regardless of the technologies they use. Legal professionals must ensure that any use of AI complies with existing duties relating to confidentiality, data protection, competence and the proper administration of justice. Where professionals breach those duties, or are suspected of misconduct, regulators have the powers to investigate and take disciplinary action where appropriate.

While some legal technology providers are not directly regulated, many adopt voluntary safeguards such as ethical frameworks, quality standards and industry best practice to support the responsible use of AI. These tools, and the organisations using them, must comply with existing data protection, consumer protection and competition law requirements.

The Government is backing the safe and responsible adoption of AI across the legal services sector by:

• Working closely with regulators through ministerial engagement, bilateral discussions and collaborative policymaking to support innovation while upholding robust professional and consumer protection.

• Continuing investment in LawtechUK, including a further £4.5 million commitment through to 2029, to drive responsible innovation across the sector.

• Supporting efforts to strengthen legal certainty and public confidence in AI, including initiatives such as the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce’s legal statement on AI liability.