On March 18, 2022, an online lecture meeting was held, inviting the Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls in England and Wales. This lecture was held to refer to the efforts of courts in England and Wales in considering digitalization in Japan, and it was audited online by judges and court officials across Japan.

In the opening address, Chief Justice OTANI Naoto said “In considering digitalization in Japan, it is very useful to refer to the efforts of courts in other countries that have taken the lead in the progress of it.”

In the lecture, Master of the Rolls made presentations on the digitalization of civil justice system of England and Wales, its trajectory and future as the main topic, referring to online claim systems, pre-action portals and the challenges in digitalization. The topic also broadened to the roles of the courts after digitalization and utilization of AI technology in the questions and answers session.

The lecture meeting provided the Japanese judiciary with a deeper understanding of the digitalization initiatives in England and Wales.