Much has been said about the role of technology in law – and a technology-driven future. It’s reasonable to think that somewhere between the fanciful and the practical lies the real deal. The COVID-19 Pandemic has acted as a un-planned but strangely timely catalyst. With the most recent evidence of technology adoption being the use of video in both civil and criminal hearings, this is surely a time to stay on top of what’s happening – and where it’s going. Just a relative handful of individuals have that access or insight – Stuart McMillan is one of them. So it was indeed a great pleasure to spend time speaking with Stuart about legal technology adoption at the Bar – given that his role and expertise are on the very frontline of change.
David Kinnear
“I work to represent members of the Bar of England and Wales and to advocate for policies that uphold and improve their practising lives and the wider profession. My main areas of work are court reform, IT and Alternative Dispute Resolution.“
– Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan
The other is probably AI and the various uses it can be put to. It might come down to the question of whether it threatens to take jobs from junior lawyers. Then it could become a more pressing issue.

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan

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Stuart McMillan
I don’t think any mediator or arbitrator would ever suggest that it is always a good alternative — there are some situations in which, for whatever reason, it just will not work, whether that is an issue concerning procedure, or the parties or whatever it may be. There will be plenty of cases in which mediation could work but arbitration cannot, and vice versa. I’m not sure it’s helpful to classify these by type. I think once there is an agreement that mediation and arbitration should at the very least be considered in every case that will be a healthy state of affairs. There have been a few relatively recent cases that have built up the debate around this issue, so I don’t think it is going away. I do think mediation and arbitration should stay out of crime, though.

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Stuart McMillan
Online mediation has, for obvious reasons, seen a serious uptick lately and is I think a little easier to facilitate than moving a ‘legal’ proceeding online. Whether or not it sticks is another question, but it’s a trend which I am very keen to observe.

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Stuart McMillan
I am always inspired by people who try to make a difference in the world, and do good. I think making a positive difference is incredibly difficult, and those who manage to do it are the real heroes.

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Stuart McMillan
It’s not a quote per se, but I like ‘know thyself’. It was one of the Delphic maxims, and I think it can be interpreted in several ways all of which are useful.

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Stuart McMillan
I like music and play guitar; I like to cook; I like to run. When I am not reading around my work I love a good novel or history book.