Skip to main content
School of Law
  1. School of Law
  2. Research
  3. HSS Bursary Scheme
  4. AI and Civil Justice: Judging through Algorithms

AI and Civil Justice: Judging through Algorithms

This Faculty of Humanities and and Social Sciences Student Bursary Project is open to, year 3 and year 4 LLB students and postgraduate law students at Queen Mary University of London.

While digitalised courtrooms expanded in use during the 2020/21 pandemic with on-line judicial processes implemented and having since become the norm, the issue now facing civil justice is the use of Artificial Intelligence for judicial decision-making; in particular, the extent of such use and its impact on concepts of justice delivery.

Project lead

Professor Debbie De Girolamo, Centre for Commercial Law Studies School of Law (d.degirolamo@qmul.ac.uk)

Project details

You will be expected to conduct a literature search (such as the extent to which AI is used or being promoted for use in judicial decision-making; search for empirical studies conducted on the use of AI in judicial decision-making; search for training materials to guide judges in the use of AI; search for judicial codes of conduct on the use of AI for judicial decision-making), draft a bibliography, summarise findings, draft recommendations for use; drafting survey questions for judicial views/experiences on use of AI algorithms in decision-making; and any other activity that may be necessary arising from the research conducted.

Student skills and knowledge required

The student should have excellent communication skills, is technologically proficient, has conducted independent research so as to have excellent research and writing skills, is able to work independently, able to work to deadlines, and is able to work on a team.  If the you have a familiarity with concepts of justice, or civil justice processes, that would be welcome.

Start date and work pattern

  • 6 January 2025
  • A suggested arrangement is 6 hours/week for 12 weeks for a total of 72 weeks; however, Professor  am flexible and would be responsive to student needs in a particular week.
  • Arrangements for briefing and monitoring the student will include the initial 1-1 consultation session about the aims of the overall project and work to be done, information to be gathered, and potential sources; fortnightly 1-1 meetings to review progress or as requested by student (there will be times, especially at the beginning of the project that the student may need to meet more often).

Application and funding details

To apply, please send a completed Research Bursary Project application form [DOC 71KB] to Ryan Shand at ccls-research@qmul.ac.uk by 11pm, 8 December 2024, using the subject line ‘HSS Bursary – Your Full Name' and indicate in the body of the email the project title you wish to apply for.

Each School will make its own arrangements for selecting student applicants; these may include interviews if considered appropriate.

We anticipate that funding will be disbursed in two instalments, both subject to confirmation by the academic project lead that the student has been working appropriately. (Project leads may wish to take this into account in scheduling their monitoring meetings.) 

This bursary is fixed at £1000 for a time commitment of no more than 76 hours which is completed flexibly over 15 weeks. The first instalment (40% of the award) will be paid at the end of February 2025; the second (60% of the award) will be paid upon overall completion.

Back to top