Launch of the most important international research project on Artificial Intelligence and Justice
Gathering the leading experts in Montreal for 6 years of research
PLEAC is a member of the Cyberjustice Laboratory. The Laboratory is a unique centre for reflection and creavitity where judicial processes are modeled and reimagined to increase access to justice.
The Cyberjustice Laboratory is pleased to announce the ACT (Autonomy through Cyberjustice Technologies) research partnership. Led by Professor Karim Benyekhlef, Director of the Laboratory, and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) Partnership Grants program, ACT aims to increase access to justice through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Over the next 6 years, ACT will be able to count on a multidisciplinary and international team of 45 researchers, as well as 42 partners including research centres, public institutions, legal professionals, representatives from civil society and private sector actors.
In order to carry out its 16 research projects, ACT can rely on a $2.5 million grant from the SSHRC, as well as $4.3 million in contributions from its various partners. The partnership will also benefit from the Cyberjustice Laboratory’s unique research infrastructure, which consists of technological courtrooms and a computer laboratory. Furthermore, ACT researchers will be able to rely on the project’s partners to hold simulations in order to test artificial intelligence algorithms that could later be deployed within the judicial system.
The work conducted by ACT researchers and partners will help provide a better understanding of the socio-legal and ethical issues stemming from the integration of artificial intelligence tools within the judicial system. Their work will also focus on the design and simulation of technological tools for conflict prevention and resolution. After an inventory and analysis of the practical applications of AI for law and justice in Canada and abroad, the team will be able to propose best practice guides and a governance framework that should allow decision-makers to develop informed public policies based on high quality scientific work.
Concrete deliverables will be proposed to our partners:
- Departments of Justice and public institutions
- The main administrators of judicial data
- The institutional sector
- Social and community activists
- Legal professionals and the legal tech industry
- Universities and specialized research centres
About the Montreal Cyberjustice Laboratory
With its main installations at the Université de Montréal, and a satellite courtroom at McGill University, the Cyberjustice Laboratory is a unique centre for reflection and creativity where judicial processes are modeled and reimagined to increase access to justice. Specialized in the online settlement of conflicts, and the modernization of the justice system through digitalisation, networking and the use of artificial intelligence, the Cyberjustice Laboratory develops platforms, software, and chatbots to improve the everyday life of litigants and legal professionals alike.