Rising use of AI in Canadian courtrooms creates divide

Canadian courts are seeing a rise in use of artificial intelligence, giving some access to justice while taking valuable work experience away from law students, experts say.

Tom Macintosh Zheng, co-founder of Courtready, a website that offers tools and databases advising firms about AI, said the number of AI use has been climbing from 104 in 2025 to 142 in 2026 so far.

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“They’re using AI because they can’t afford a lawyer,” said Macintosh Zheng, noting over 80 per cent of people using the technology are self-represented.

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