To The Point: Technology & Digitalisation | June 2021

AI in civil proceedings?

According to the Supreme People's Court, China's three internet courts in Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou allegedly closed 200,000 cases within three years using AI. Meanwhile, Estonia introduced the development of the first "AI judge" in 2019 and in London drivers can appeal parking tickets via a "robot lawyer app". Will AI be used in domestic courts? And if so, when?

Not anytime soon. In Germany, the "Modernisation of Civil Procedure" working group advocated earlier this year - amongst other proposals - to finally abolish fax submissions to reserve the deadline before filing electronically. Also, the German government recently submitted proposed legislation to expand the electronic delivery system beyond courts and attorneys. Austria's justice system struggles with digitalisation; hardly any cases are solely administered electronically, i.e. paperless.