Adam Harkens

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About

Adam Harkens is a legal scholar whose research sits at the intersection of technology, justice, and the future of legal decision-making. His work critically examines the growing role of artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems within legal processes, with a particular focus on whether advanced computing technologies could meaningfully — or appropriately — replace human judges. Harkens approaches these questions with careful scepticism, resisting techno-optimistic narratives while rigorously engaging with the practical realities of automated dispute resolution. His most influential contribution, "Re-engineering justice? Robot judges, computerised courts and (semi) automated legal decision-making" (2019), has garnered 87 citations and stands as a key reference point in scholarly debates about AI in the courtroom. The paper examines alternative dispute resolution as a testing ground for legal automation, offering a nuanced critique of how far technology can genuinely replicate judicial reasoning. This work was further developed in his 2020 chapter "Algorithmic justice: dispute resolution and the robot judge?", which deepens the analysis of algorithmic systems in legal contexts. Harkens' scholarship is particularly valuable for students and researchers navigating questions of legal ethics, access to justice, and the societal implications of automating institutions that depend fundamentally on human judgment and accountability.