Published on:
30 Sept 2024
1
min read
https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/new-ai-service-to-help-lawyers-go-through-25000-judgments-in-s-pore-s-legal-history.
On high-tech solutions, headnotes, and heuristics: part 1.
As reported by Osmond Chia of The Straits Times, the Singapore Academy of Law has announced the release of LawNet AI, an upgrade to LawNet.¹ It features AI-generated summaries of cases which have not already been summarised by Justice Law Clerks ("JLCs").
"Most of these case judgments are not summarised and exist only as lengthy transcripts, which can be 'painful' for lawyers to sift through, said SAL chief technology officer Kenta Kusano, who is also the chief executive of LawNet Technology Services."
Now, I'm no Luddite, and I'm all for technology that saves time, reduces costs, and makes our lives easier.
But I'm going to stick my neck out and say something terribly unpopular:
Sometimes, the pain is the necessary price to be paid.
In fact, at times, the pain is the point.
Disclaimer:
The content of this article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
¹ https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/new-ai-service-to-help-lawyers-go-through-25000-judgments-in-s-pore-s-legal-history.
² For the lawyers amongst us - this discussion is probably all old hat to you. But do bear with me as I provide the context for the non-lawyers amongst us.
³ They probably form a tiny minority, and have my grudging respect. But if not for the fact that I'm probably a bit of an anorak myself, I would call them massive nerds.
⁴ I would go so far as to suggest that all practicing lawyers should have a habit of regularly skimming the new judgments released on the SG Courts website (https://www.judiciary.gov.sg/judgments/judgments-case-summaries). I am not suggesting that every lawyer should read every new case from top to bottom. However, I do suggest that lawyers should, at a minimum, see if any of the new cases relate to their practice areas, and at least speedread those cases.
⁵ In particular, Rules 5(1)(c) and 2(c) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 place on lawyers an express duty of diligence in the provision of advice and services to clients, and Rule 9(1)(b) places on lawyers the duty to ensure that any work done relating to any proceedings before any court or tribunal will uphold the integrity of the court or tribunal and contribute to the attainment of justice.
