The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published a collection of 11 focused on lawtech and regulation as part of its ongoing work in the area. The collection, entitled ‘Perspectives on Lawtech and Regulation’ includes contributions from Chris Handford, Director of Regulatory Policy at the SRA, discussing the regulatory challenges of lawtech; Mariette Hughes, Head Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman, discussing the use of big-data in decision making and Sir Geoffery Vos, Chancellor of the High Court discussing regulatory barriers of innovation.
The publication follows on from a series of papers and podcasts produced by the LSB last year, which included work from Alison Hook, discussing international approaches to regulating legal technology; Professor Roger Brownsword, discussing regulatory lessons from medicine and finance; Professor Noel Semple, discussing technological innovation and the Legal Services Act; and Dr Anna Donovan, on the regulation of blockchain.
The LSB has also announced that it plans to establish an expert reference group, made up of technology experts, practitioners and regulators, allowing individuals and regulators to share ideas and knowledge and engage with regulatory issues around technology collectively.
Matthew Hill, Chief Executive of the Legal Services Board has said: “One of the Legal Services Board’s roles is to help foster a regulatory climate that supports innovation and increases access to legal services for everyone who needs them while maintaining high standards. The impact of COVID-19 has brought into even sharper focus the vital role that technology can play in keeping the wheels of justice turning. We want to remove barriers to innovation, and we encourage regulators to explore how we can use technology to reshape legal services to better meet the needs of society.”