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Smart legal contracts
In February, Lawtech UK launched a project on smarter contracts. Smarter contracts are legally-binding digital contracts that use technology to gain additional features. Smart legal contracts (SLCs) are a new and emerging area of development for the legal services market – moving from paper contracts to digital ways of contracting. Take up of digital contracting in the legal services sector is currently very low, but it is commonly used in many other sectors (notably banking and finance) and is likely be adopted quickly and widely once it takes off in law firms. The Law Commission and UK Jurisdiction Taskforce have previously advised that the current UK legal framework can support SLCs.
Access to justice project publishes interim research
The access to justice research project consortium has published its interim findings.
The research uncovered a lack of trust in interactive self-help legal tools, such as chatbots and online documents, and that the rapid switch to online advice services has proved ‘particularly difficult’ for some groups of people, making them more isolated than they were before Covid.
The project looks at two UK regions and the consortium comprises the West of England Combined Authority, the University of the West of England, Swansea University, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), University House Legal Advice Centre and the SRA. The final report and project outcomes are due this summer.
Lawtech UK publishes its data vision statement
Lawtech UK has issued a joint statement with its Regulatory Response Unit (RRU) to help address misconceptions around digital identity verification and highlight the benefits of adoption by legal businesses.
This statement makes clear that no regulator in UK jurisdictions prevents the use or reliance on digital means of identity verification in legal services.
Barriers to innovation in the legal sector
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has worked with Lawtech UK’s Regulatory Response Unit and the Tech Nation sandbox to understand developing technologies and the perceived barriers to innovation within the legal sector. During the project, the ICO worked with innovators, advising them on issues including international transfers, cookies and consent, and considering the data protection issues with new technology. The ICO’s Innovation Hub sits alongside its Regulatory Sandbox and Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) team, who offer written advice to businesses who have identified high risk in new projects. Its innovation work aims to intervene and provide support in a way that prevents harm, encourages innovation, and reduces the likelihood of future infringement. It also aims to challenge the preconception that regulation and data protection legislation are barriers to innovation.
Agile Nations Lawtech Innovation Network
A professional services Lawtech Working Group has been set up for the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Agile Nations programme.
The collaborative initiative aims to share knowledge and regulatory insights in key areas, including lawtech ethical standards, increasing access to justice and consumer protection, and advancing competition and innovation in the global legal market. The group will bring international regulators together to develop joint approaches that enhance and support these aims to strengthen the legal market for all.
The SRA is partnering with agencies in Canada and the United Arab Emirates and has support from an observation group in Singapore.
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