The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and the UNESCO Network of Experts on AI and the Rule of Law are proud to be collaborating on a one-day seminar initiative at Inner Temple, London on Saturday 20 June 2026, examining the transformative potential and risks associated with the use of AI, with particular attention to its impact on human rights, access to justice and the rule of law for justice system stakeholders around the world.
International AI capacity building initiative for Judges, Legal Practitioners, Civil Society and Educators at Inner Temple on 20 June 2026 (10:30-18:00)
BHRC x UNESCO Training Seminar on AI, Justice & The Rule of Law
Join us at The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple on Saturday 20 June 2026 from 10:30 AM (BST) for an engaging and timely training seminar organised by the Bar Human Rights Committee and UNESCO on AI, Human Rights & The Rule of Law. The training, based on the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law programme, explores how those working in the justice sector can leverage the transformative potential of AI while ensuring its use remains fair, accountable and rights-respecting. Both in person and online, we look forward to welcoming justice system stakeholders from around the world, including judges, barristers, solicitor advocates, civil society organisations, court administrative officers, pupils / trainees, legal practitioners, legal researchers / academics and students. This event is hosted in partnership with The Bar Council, Thomson Reuters, Doughty Street Chambers, JUSTICE, BARBRI, Inner Temple and the Human Rights Lawyers Association.
Speakers and session chairs include:
Michael Ivers KC, Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales
Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales
Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Susie Alegre, Associate Tenant, Garden Court Chambers, Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI), UK
Robin Allen KC, Barrister at Cloisters & Co-founder of the AI Law Consultancy
Kay Firth-Butterfield, Associate Tenant, Doughty Street Chambers & CEO, Good Tech Advisory
Jodie Blackstock, BHRC Vice-Chair & Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Jo Cecil KC, BHRC Vice-Chair & Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Nighat Dad, Founder, Digital Rights Foundation, Pakistan
Thom Dyke, Barrister at Deka Chambers & Executive Committee, BHRC
Dr Kamel El Hilali, AI & Rule of Law Specialist, UNESCO
Mark Emerton, Former Board Member of the Judicial College, SSRB Member & Executive Committee, Human Rights Lawyers Association
Henry Fingerhut, Technology & Innovation Policy Manager, The Bar Standards Board, UK
Katie Fowler, Director of Responsible Business, Thomson Reuters Foundation, UK
Louise Hooper, Barrister at Garden Court Chambers, Enforce at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties & 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List 2025
Matthew Lee, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Ellen Lefley, Deputy Legal Director, JUSTICE
Maria Mbeneka, Council Member & Co-Convenor of the Legal Technology & Innovation Committee, Commonwealth Lawyers Association
Professor Yvonne McDermott Rees, Professor in Law at Queen’s University Belfast
Iverna McGowan, Tech & Human Rights Advisor at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva
Professor Andrew Murray, Dean of the Law School, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Michael Navin, Principal Court Management Consultant, National Center for State Courts (NCSC), USA
Dr Ewelina Ochab, Senior Programme Lawyer, International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
Cyrus Suntook, Co-Founder, AI for Growth and co-author of ‘AI & Sustainability: Leading Responsibly’, Said Business School, University of Oxford
Dr John Sorabji, Associate Professor, Co-Founder & Co-Director of UCL Laws’ Centre for Dispute Resolution, UK
Mary Towers, Technology Law and Responsible Innovation Policy Advisor at The Law Society of England & Wales
For further information, please contact the training convenors Dr Louise Loder (BHRC / University of Exeter) and Dr Kamel El Hilali (UNESCO / Yale Information Society Project).
REGISTER HERE
In person (£28, ticketed) – please register here.
Online (free) – please register here.
PROGRAMME
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Opening Session | Chaired by Michael Ivers KC, Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales and Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar Council
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Artificial intelligence and international judicial engagement
In this session, chaired by Michael Ivers KC (Chair of BHRC), we will deepen our understanding of how AI is being used within the judiciary, both domestically and internationally. We will also consider how strengthened cross-jurisdiction engagement and cooperation among judicial office holders worldwide can help mitigate the potential adverse effects of AI on justice systems, human rights, and the rule of law.
12:15 PM – 12:45 PM
An overview of the UNESCO AI & Rule of Law Programme
This session, led by Dr Kamel El Hilali (AI & Rule of Law Specialist, UNESCO) will introduce the UNESCO Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals which set out practical recommendations for judges, court staff, and legal practitioners on the responsible development, procurement, deployment, and use of AI technologies in justice settings.
12:45 PM – 01:45 PM
Civil Society and Policy Responses to AI in Justice
This session, chaired by Dr Kamel El Hilali, AI & Rule of Law Specialist, UNESCO, examines the growing role of civil society organisations in shaping, scrutinising, and responding to the use of AI in justice settings. We’ll understand the practical applications and benefits of use of AI in backlogged court systems, such as efficiency and improved access to justice, and discover innovative tools, resources and programmes developed by judicial institutions and civil society organisations. We will also consider implications for and innovative approaches in legal education, research and professional training, designed to prepare future lawyers with AI literacy and competencies as groundwork for effective and ethical use of AI in future legal / professional practice.
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Lunch
2:15 PM – 2:50 PM
The transformative potential of AI in our justice systems
Following a 20-minute keynote, participants will be invited to engage in Q&A on the transformative potential of AI, and how risks to the rule of law, judicial independence and human rights can be mitigated in the design of legal / judicial processes, programmes and policies. This session will be chaired by Jo Cecil KC, BHRC Vice-Chair.
2:50 PM – 3:20 PM
AI Guidance for the international Bar and Law Societies
Professional bodies across jurisdictions are increasingly developing guidance to support the responsible and effective use of AI in legal practice. The session, chaired by Jodie Blackstock (Vice Chair of BHRC), will examine key areas of convergence across emerging frameworks, including the need for transparency in the use of AI-assisted outputs, safeguarding confidentiality and legal professional privilege, and ensuring appropriate human oversight and accountability. The session will consider how these principles are being translated into practical guidance for lawyers, identifying commonalities and points of divergence across jurisdictions.
3:20 PM – 4:10 PM
Governing AI in justice: Ethics, risk and accountability in a global context
This session, chaired by Louise Hooper, Barrister at Garden Court Chambers & 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List 2025, examines the ethical implications of the use of artificial intelligence in practitioner and judicial contexts, including algorithmic bias, transparency, inclusion, non-discimination, fairness in decision-making, privacy, and data security, in the light of growing risks of misuse, systemic discrimination, opaque decision-making, intrusive surveillance of human rights defenders and civil society organisations, and the erosion of fundamental rights and public trust in justice systems. Drawing on frameworks such as the UNESCO 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (among others), the session also introduces ethical impact assessment as a practical tool for responsible AI adoption.
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
AI, Judicial Independence & Capacity Building
The growing use of artificial intelligence across legal systems poses profound questions for judicial independence. From threats to institutional autonomy and procedural fairness, to the erosion of public confidence in the administration of justice, AI is reshaping the conditions under which courts operate and under which judges must make decisions. 44% of judicial operators, including judges, prosecutors and lawyers, are utilizing AI tools such as ChatGPT in their work, yet only 9% have received proper institutional training or guidelines. This finding, from UNESCO’s survey of judicial actors from 96 countries, highlights a significant gap, raising serious ethical and legal concerns. Chaired by Mark Emerton, Former Board Member of the Judicial College, SSRB Member & Executive Committee, Human Rights Lawyers Association, this session will explore deficits in judicial training on AI and how these leave judges ill-equipped to interrogate algorithmic outputs or identify where automation may introduce bias or error, and explore capacity building initiatives and practices to mitigate these deficits.
5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
Break
5:20 PM – 6:00 PM
Closing Session | AI, Access to Justice & Human Rights
HOW TO GET THERE
Please view the Inner Temple website for travel guidance.
