Faculty of Law co-creates new online course on AI, Justice, and the Rule of Law
The Faculty of Law has co-created a free online course on AI, Justice, and the Rule of Law, in collaboration with UNESCO and Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government and Saïd Business School.
Funded by UNESCO with the support of the EU, the course will help judges, legal professionals and those working in related areas to navigate the introduction of AI technologies in legal research, analysis and decision-making. The programme explores how AI can support access to justice while upholding fundamental human rights and the rule of law.
Ignacio Cofone, Professor of Law and Regulation of AI at Oxford and one of the academic directors of the course, says: "This course is distinctive because it is designed specifically for judges and legal professionals. It doesn't teach coding – instead it focuses on decisions that judges actually have to make, such as whether to admit AI-generated evidence and how much to rely on an AI decision support tool. The course is also comparative – the materials draw from experiences across different legal systems, with the aim of examining how different courts are confronting very similar problems."
The programme, which is available now, includes approximately 18 hours of guided learning across six modules, completed at participants' own pace. Content includes expert-led videos, comparative international case studies, reflective exercises, and practical discussions.
Professor Cofone adds: "Participants will develop several practical capabilities through this course. For example, they will develop the ability to understand what safeguards should be requested before relying on AI assistance. They will work through practical scenarios involving AI-generated evidence, generative drafting tools, and risk assessment systems, considering how fair trial principles apply in each case. Participants will also examine AI ethics, transparency and the right to a reasoned decision, and how to distinguish between assistance and replacing decision-making."
Find out more about the AI, Justice, and the Rule of Law online course, including how to enrol.