Lord Pentland on AI in the Scottish Court System

If anyone is looking for the clearest statement yet on the role of artificial intelligence in Scotland's justice system, they need look no further than Lord Pentland's address to the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow on 3 June 2026.

The speech is likely to become a landmark reference point in discussions about AI and the Scottish legal profession. Rather than engaging in speculation or alarmism, Scotland's most senior judge provided a measured and authoritative assessment of where we are today - and where we are heading.

Lord Pentland's central message is unmistakable:

"My working assumption is that AI is entering the courtroom to stay."

That simple sentence effectively captures the current position of the Scottish courts. AI is no longer a future possibility or an emerging trend; it is already part of the justice system and will become increasingly embedded in legal practice and court administration.

Importantly, Lord Pentland rejects the notion that AI will replace judges or lawyers. Instead, he argues that it should be viewed as a tool to support (not supplant) human legal judgment. As he explains, judges must never "outsource their thinking to an algorithm."

At the same time, he makes it equally clear that standing still is not an option. He states:

"All judicial officeholders must be ready, able to understand it and make appropriate use of it. That inevitably means the profession must adapt. To paraphrase a famous saying: 'You may not be interested in AI, but AI will soon be interested in you.'"

That observation is perhaps the most significant takeaway from the address. Adaptation is no longer optional. Digital competence and an understanding of AI are becoming core professional skills for lawyers and judges alike.

The speech also demonstrates that AI is already being deployed within Scotland's justice system. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service is exploring natural language processing and generative AI to improve transcription, summarisation and translation services, as well as supporting online civil procedures. Lord Pentland also discusses the wider opportunities AI presents for improving efficiency, case management and access to justice, while acknowledging the risks posed by inaccurate AI-generated legal submissions, bias and over-reliance on automated systems.

What makes the address particularly valuable is its balanced approach. Lord Pentland neither embraces AI uncritically nor dismisses it through fear of technological change. Instead, he sets out a thoughtful framework in which innovation must always be guided by the rule of law, judicial independence, professional responsibility and public confidence.

For anyone practising law in Scotland, or simply interested in how AI is reshaping the justice system, this is essential reading. It is difficult to think of a more authoritative summary of the current position on AI within the Scottish courts. It is a speech that will almost certainly be cited for years to come as Scotland's definitive judicial statement on the opportunities, challenges and inevitable future of artificial intelligence in the administration of justice.

The full text of Lord Pentland's address, delivered at the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow on 3 June 2026, is available here.