How will law manifest itself in a technological driven world?

The legal profession lags behind the rest of the world by decades if not more. The pandemic has called for an unprecedented event in the history of humanity. Today in these circumstances, the world is moving towards digitisation, standardisation, automation and e-governance built upon the virtual world.

With the technology constantly engulfing us, the change of opportunity is wired down to how we adapt in the market in terms of our clients and as legal professionals. In the near future, we’ll see the assistance of technology in laws firms such as that of telerobos, artificial intelligence taking over.

So, what are the new ways that would manoeuvre law and the advancement of technology?

While the pandemic has given us a complete new meaning on how corporate operation has to work across, but while this is happening, a look into the farther future would enable us as to how the legal profession will adapt the advancement of technology.

1. Templates and Virtual Hearings

i. Developing ‘intelligent templates’ which may alter itself based on the information and data provided (wherein you can personalise your contract)

ii. When video-conferencing calls by the means of advancement in technology is able to capture the emotions and deliver the impact of an argument, physical courts maybe replaced

2. Monitoring of crimes

i. Our labour and the crimes we commit would be recorded, which would call for advancement in the evidence act, the procedure and corroborative evidence required

ii. Help track terrorist recruitment faster through the use of data and records

iii. Justice will be delivered faster as the judges will now look upon the ‘recorded data’ on computers and would decide whether such evidence is following due process of law

3. AI-powered bots

i. AI powered bots chats to users wherein legal queries and complaints can be filed

ii. AI technology designed to interpret legal terms and maxims to look for case laws and statutes

iii. The diligence exercise performed by paralegal and junior advocates will be replace by augmenting technology

4. New laws & Institutions

i. As mankind has evolved so has the interpretation of law. For technology to adapt the law with wider interpretation will be applicable, new statues and rules to govern the ethical side of the legal professional would be required

ii. A Mutual-Legal Assistance Treaty has to be formulated among different nations to curb crimes globally as now the crimes will not only be committed within the national border perhaps the crimes will be global

iii. Establishment of cybercrime courts or independent institutions that will deal with specifically crimes related to cyber security and cyber threats

iv. As more work would be tech-based, legal cost would reduce enabling common people to afford big-shot lawyers

Conclusion

“Change is the only constant” as said by philosophers has proven to apt for the legal profession. With most of our work during the pandemic augmenting with technology it can be foreseen that such dependence on technology is going to be present in the near future. A day might come when they’ll do away with the physical hearing of courts and client meetings and everything can be instructed virtual until then, we will have to get and show-up in courts!

What are some other ways that technology can be utilised in the legal profession?

Anyway thats all from us

Until then,

Take Care :)