Geoffrey Vos, master of the rolls and head of civil justice in England and Wales, said that in a way, their caution is good as the legal system provides for a crucial protection of the lives and liberties of citizens.

“But that said, as new technologies come, they will at the same time challenge some of the old ways of working,” he said in a lecture titled “Justice in the Digital Age: Navigating Legal Challenges and Technological Innovation” here today.

Vos, whose position is equivalent to the president of the Court of Appeal in Malaysia and second highest in the UK judicial hierarchy, said the legal fraternity must embrace changes to better serve their clients.

He said the legal fraternity could still maintain the rule of law within this new automated world.

“The rule of law cannot be sacrificed at the temple of modernisation, and as lawyers and judges, we must think quickly,” he said, adding that he was not here to alarm those present, as one cannot escape revolutionary technology like artificial intelligence.

Vos, who is also the treasurer of the UK Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, said one must also scrutinise every technological innovation to determine if its adoption will save time and money.

He said he was confident legal advice to clients would always be necessary, even delivered online.

“But let me also offer a word of caution. AI tools such as ChatGPT may be quick, but not 100% accurate,” he said, adding that although he is a self-confessed technocrat that had abandoned the use of paper in any shape or form for five years now, he had “no intention of returning” to it.

The talk was organised by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn Alumni Association of Malaysia.

Also present were Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, association president and former chief justice Zaki Azmi, and serving and retired judges.