Journal article
Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice at the ‘Shop Front’: The Potential and Limitations of Meeting Legal Need Through Technology
The Australian journal of social issues, Vol.First Online, pp.1-14
07/05/2026
Appears in Recent Faculty of Education Publications
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Abstract
In Australia, governments fund Community Legal Centres (CLCs) as part of the legal assistance sector (LAS) to meet the ‘legal needs’ of people experiencing disadvantage who cannot afford private legal services. Persistent unmet demand for CLCs is well-documented. As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in private legal practice to increase productivity and profits, some parts of the LAS are also exploring AI use cases. This article asks: What do we know about CLC clients and how services are currently delivered to meet their needs? What must we consider about client capabilities to ensure AI technologies are appropriate in the context of CLC service delivery? The research includes a review of policy documents, peer-reviewed research and grey literature, and secondary analysis of empirical data on how client capabilities contribute to the legal needs of CLC clients. We show that the three-dimensional nature of legal need; a client's capability and ability to self-assist; structural inequalities; and current CLC service delivery models are vital considerations when developing AI tools to increase access to justice.
Details
- Title
- Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice at the ‘Shop Front’: The Potential and Limitations of Meeting Legal Need Through Technology
- Creators
- Catherine Hastings - Western Sydney UniversityArt Cotterell - UNSW SydneyFarzana Bruce - Canberra Community Law (Canberra, ACT)
- Publication Details
- The Australian journal of social issues, Vol.First Online, pp.1-14
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; HOBOKEN
- Grant note
- Open access publishing facilitated by Western Sydney University, as part of the Wiley - Western Sydney University agreement via the Council of Australasian University Librarians
- Identifiers
- 991013376480202368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article