Can we make the legal system accessible for all?
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This email is being sent to all University of Sussex staff.
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Tributes paid to Professor Maggie Boden, pioneer in philosophy and AI |
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Colleagues of Professor Margaret (Maggie) Boden OBE, who has died aged 88, have paid tribute to her legacy as a founder of the School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences (COGS) at the University of Sussex and as a pioneering figure globally in the philosophy of artificial intelligence.
Professor Boden joined Sussex in 1965 and was a founder of the cognitive studies programme in the 1970s, making Sussex the first university in the world to offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees combining philosophy, psychology and computer science. |
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Beyond Sussex, she was vice-president of the British Academy, chair of the Council of The Royal Institution, and a celebrated author whose books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Professor Anil Seth, Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, said: “In many ways, she was cognitive science. For decades she was an informal mentor to me. I will always remember our dinners, with good-natured discussions that roamed widely across disciplines and always reminded me what a privilege it is to be part of this life. Knowing and learning from Maggie was one of the biggest privileges of all."
Professor of Cognitive Science, Ron Chrisley said: “The world has lost a ground-breaking thinker and intellectual, but I have lost a warm, jovial and inspiring colleague, mentor and friend.” |
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Positive Futures: Seven years of sustainability impact |
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One high-profile example of research impact in the report is SSRP's support for Ecuador's landmark 2021 Los Cedros ruling, which protected the forest under the country’s ‘Rights of Nature’ legislation. Ecological data gathered by Professor Mika Peck helped win the case and inspired the creation of Ecoforensic, a community-led initiative training paraecologists to collect evidence for legal action. It is a pioneering model for biodiversity protection.
SSRP is also helping to shape sustainability thinking and practice on a global scale. With institutions and governments facing declining resources, SSRP analysis calls for countries to develop policies and measures that advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at once. These recommendations were shared at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2025 alongside examples of this approach in action with Sussex research - read more about the idea of 'Synergy Drivers'.
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Why we must design an inclusive digital justice system |
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By Sarah Stephens
As someone who researches digital justice and inclusion, I have seen how overwhelming the legal system can be, especially for people trying to navigate it alone. Too often, rather than simplifying access to justice, technology introduces new layers of complexity, particularly for those already marginalised by the system. |
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That is why I joined the Online Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC), established under the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022, to help shape an inclusive digital justice system for England and Wales. This month, the OPRC launched its first public consultation, seeking feedback on two key proposals: the Inclusion Framework and the Pre-Action Model.
As Chair of the Inclusion Sub-Committee, I led development of the Inclusion Framework: a blueprint for ensuring online legal services are accessible, understandable, and fair from the start. I presented the framework at the consultation launch on 16 July at the Law Society, alongside Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls; Lord Justice Birss; and Richard Atkinson, President of the Law Society.
The OPRC is also consulting on the Pre-Action Model, which sets out how online services can support people before they reach court, through guidance, legal information, and dispute resolution. Such tools have the potential to reduce unnecessary litigation and empower people to resolve problems early. However, without deliberate, user-centred design, digital systems risk replicating, and even deepening, existing patterns of exclusion, which is why the Inclusion Framework is so vital to ensuring accessibility is embedded from the outset.
This consultation invites public engagement in shaping the future of digital justice. We need input from legal professionals, technologists, advice agencies and, most importantly, from the people who use these services. If we don’t design for inclusion from the start, we risk building a system that leaves people behind. Responses can be submitted here: OPRC Public Consultation.
Dr Sarah Stephens is Associate Professor of Legal Innovation at the University of Sussex and Co-Deputy Director of the Sussex Centre for Law and Technology. |
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National and international coverage including The Telegraph, BBC Radio 4 and Yahoo News paid tribute to Professor Margaret Boden, recognising her pioneering role in the development of artificial intelligence and her long-standing contributions to Sussex.
Professor Sebastian Weidt spoke to EU Tech about Sussex spin-out Universal Quantum, highlighting how the University partnership enables cutting-edge research to become scalable technology.
Dr Jo Wilding featured in The Conversation, revealing Windrush claimants with legal support received over £70,000 more on average than those without.
Forbes covered Sussex research showing flea treatment chemicals in bird nests are linked to higher chick mortality.
Finally, Oceanographic Magazine reported early signs of ecosystem recovery from the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, including the return of rare species. |
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