We were delighted to host honorary graduate Sir Brian Leveson, who gave his reflections on the highlights of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts for University of Liverpool students and staff.
AI for Life frontier co-lead Professor Katie Atkinson has played a major part in this review, serving as one of five expert advisers. Her contribution focussed on providing insight and expertise around “the prospects of undertaking digital transformation and deploying artificial intelligence responsibly”, as set out in the foreword to the report.
Sir Brian was commissioned by the Lord Chancellor in 2025 to carry out an independent review into the criminal courts in light of the significant backlogs that have developed in recent years in the UK criminal justice system. Specifically, the review considered two key themes:
- Reform: how the criminal courts could be reformed to ensure cases are dealt with proportionately given the current pressures on the Crown Court
- Efficiency: how they could operate as efficiently as possible, to include consideration of the processes of partner agencies where they impact the criminal courts.
The Review concluded in 2026, and reports addressing the two themes have been delivered to the Lord Chancellor and made available to the public. The reports provide a deep analysis of the scale and nature of the problems that have contributed to the backlog, and set out a comprehensive set of 180 recommendations to tackle these problems.
Within the reforms proposed are recommendations for the increased use of AI, in a responsible manner, to support a number of different tasks involved in the delivery of justice. Given the University’s recognised expertise in AI and Law, Professor Atkinson was well-placed to contribute to the report.
Sir Brian, who is originally from Liverpool, stayed on after the talk to take questions from staff and students about the important reforms proposed in the review.
Professor Atkinson said: “It was a pleasure to host Sir Brian Leveson in our School of Law and Social Justice. Artificial intelligence has significant potential to support the justice system, but its use must be carefully designed, transparent and responsible, which is exactly the approach advocated in the review. The review’s recommendations span a wide range of aspects of how the criminal courts operate and as part of this, the recommendations recognise the role that AI can play in helping to address the pressures facing the system and deliver swifter justice to victims."
Further information
- The Review reports
- Video: Sir Brian providing an overview of the Review’s outcomes
- Listen to Professor Katie Atkinson talking about her research in our Original Ideas podcast episode focusing on Artificial Intelligence.