TE-A2JSeven themes have emerged from the literature review: 1. Cost and Efficiency, 2. Trust and Transparency, 3. Flexibility, 4. Fairness, 5. Support, 6. Engagement and 7. Use.
This page gives an overview of each, click on the titles for more information.
Overview Legal technologies have made it much easier to provide ‘ever-larger quantities and varieties of sources, information, and data on law’ [Tibor Tajti, 2019. p.428]. It has been theorised by Schauer and Wise that increasing public access to primary legal information is socially valuable as it can provide a focal point for political debate and […]
This theme covers the financial cost from the viewpoint of both the user and provider, with improved efficiency through use of technology to reduce costs.
The users of legal technology are more likely to place their trust in a legal service which offers not just accurate information, but also emotional support to the user. The internet has created an abundance of legal information which can be overwhelming for users, this theme advocates a comprehensive resource to address this issue.
Innovations need to be flexible so that they can adapt quickly to the regular changes in the legal sector. Flexible innovations allow users and legal professionals to access better, tailored support. It is also important that the regulation of technology is flexible to allow for innovation within the justice sector.
From a user’s perspective, several factors affect the perception of being ‘fairly’ treated. Those specific to technology enhanced A2J include; usability, access to legal information and autonomy. There are both objective and subjective considerations to fairness in TE-A2J.
There are three main types of support a user is likely to need when accessing legal support through a digital service; 1. Legal support, 2. Emotional support and 3. Digital support.
This theme discusses innovations and suggestions which provide support to a user, with a particular emphasis on the needs of vulnerable users as they may have more complex support needs.
User engagement with an innovation will be a key quantifier in assessing its impact on access to justice and should be considered at the preliminary design stage and on review of an innovation. This theme highlights the challenges in user engagement as well as discussing how to address these issues.
It is imperative that the user should be at the centre of the design process of any legal technology service.
This theme discusses technological advances in accessing legal information and advice such as ‘guided pathways’.