UK Civil Justice Council Opens Consultation on AI Use in Court Documents, February 2026

On 17 February 2026, the Civil Justice Council launched an eight-week consultation examining whether rules are needed to govern the use of artificial intelligence by legal representatives in preparing court documents in England and Wales. The consultation closes on 14 April 2026. The CJC is an advisory body whose statutory functions include keeping the civil justice system under review and considering how to make it more accessible, fair, and efficient.

The CJC established a Working Group chaired by Lord Justice Birss, Deputy Head of Civil Justice, with Mrs Justice Joanna Smith as Deputy Chair. The Working Group's terms of reference, approved by the CJC's Executive Committee, direct it to produce a consultation paper followed by a final report. The scope covers AI use by legal representatives in preparing pleadings, witness statements, and expert reports. No specific statutory rule or Civil Procedure Rule has been amended as of the consultation launch date; the consultation precedes any formal rule change.

Law firms, barristers' chambers, AI tool developers, and litigants who use AI-generated or AI-assisted pleadings and witness statements in England and Wales civil proceedings are within the consultation's scope. Solicitors and barristers who prepare court documents using AI tools should review the consultation paper and consider responding before 14 April 2026. The outcome of the consultation may result in new Civil Procedure Rules or Practice Directions governing AI-assisted document preparation.

Responses must be submitted in PDF or Word format, accompanied by the CJC's cover sheet, and sent to CJC.AI.consultation@judiciary.uk by 14 April 2026. The Working Group will proceed to a final report after the consultation period closes. No mandatory disclosure or certification requirements for AI-assisted documents are in force in England and Wales as of 13 March 2026; any such rules would require amendment to the Civil Procedure Rules 1998.

Source: Civil Justice Council, "Use of AI in Preparing Court Documents," consultation launched 17 February 2026, closing 14 April 2026. URL: https://www.judiciary.uk/related-offices-and-bodies/advisory-bodies/cjc/current-work/use-of-ai-in-preparing-court-documents/. Confirmed 13 March 2026.

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