26 - 27 January 2026
The Institute hosted a hackathon on 26–27 January at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, focused on the development, testing, and refinement of the Fair Trial Adviser. The event addressed a pressing challenge for justice systems worldwide: how to apply fair trial standards consistently and responsibly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in legal processes.
The hackathon brought together legal professionals, technologists, human rights experts, and students to engage directly with an existing Fair Trial Adviser prototype. Through structured discussions, case-based testing, and hands-on design exercises, participants examined how the tool performs in practice, identified legal and ethical risks, and brainstormed concrete improvements to its functionality, safeguards, and usability.
Discussions centred on how fair trial rights operate in real-world legal settings, the limits of AI-supported legal reasoning, and the importance of embedding due process, transparency, and accountability into AI tools used in justice systems. International AI governance frameworks, including UNESCO's Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals, informed analysis of the prototype’s design choices and future development.
The event served as an intensive testing and co-development exercise, generating practical insights to strengthen the Fair Trial Adviser and demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in building AI tools that support, rather than undermine, fundamental rights.
Learn more about the Fair Trial Adviser tool here.
