LawtechUK bolsters panel

Chaired by Christina Blacklaws, former president of the Law Society, the panel acts as an advisory board to the LawtechUK programme. Panel members include leaders from the public and private sectors who are well versed in the law and technology sector.

According to a Ministry of Justice press release, the changes reflect the transition to the second phase of LawtechUK, which is being taken forwards by start-up incubator CodeBase and Legal Geek, which runs events and programmes to connect legal businesses and the technology sector.

The press release says: "The panel will continue to support the LawtechUK programme, helping ensure its success and supporting Codebase and Legal Geek to drive the development and use of technology in the legal sector. This will also accelerate the growth of the UK’s internationally-recognised lawtech sector."

The new members are:

• Maya Markovich – executive director of Justice Technology Association
• Mimi Zou – co-founder of Deriskly and professor of commercial law, University of Exeter
• Isabel Parker – partner at Deloitte Legal
• Stephen Browning – challenge director for next generation services at UK Research and Innovation
• Sophia Adams Bhatti – global head of purpose and impact, Simmons & Simmons.

Rosemary Martin, who has been a member of the panel for over four years, will be stepping down.

Blacklaws said: "I am delighted and excited to welcome our talented new colleagues to the LawtechUK panel. This is an incredibly exciting time as the industry explores the possibilities and consequences of utilising generative AI whilst trying to address issues of unmet legal need in this country. The LawtechUK panel will be at the forefront of this work and our new members will help to drive forward innovation in the legal sector."

Justice Minister Mike Freer said: "LawtechUK plays a central role in nurturing new cutting-edge innovation, and supporting the UK’s place as a world leader in legal services and expertise. I welcome this new panel of established and outstanding individuals whose collective expertise will bring tremendous value to the work of the programme well into the future.

The objectives for LawtechUK’s second phase will build on work delivered so far, in order to increase innovation and the adoption of lawtech in the delivery of UK legal services. It also aims to support the growth of the lawtech sector in the UK and enable English and Welsh law and the UK’s jurisdictions to become the foundation for emerging technologies, by supporting and promoting the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce’s work.