Rise of the Robots: Challenging automated decision-making in government

An intensive set of short workshops split over three days from 17-19 November.
The aim of the training is to equip public lawyers with the practical knowledge and skills required to challenge automated government decisions.

The training has 3 key components:

• An intro to automated systems in government
• The main legal frameworks governing automated government decision-making
• A practical guide to litigating automated government decisions.

The full lineup of speakers and topics is below.
This programme is presented with the support of The Legal Education Foundation and 11KBW, and in collaboration with Open Rights Group.
         

Tickets prices:

• Standard: £100 + VAT
• Discounted: £75 + VAT (for NGOs/charities, advisers, and lawyers within 5 years of PQE)
• Student: £10 + VAT

There is a limited run of subsidised tickets for those who do not have sufficient funds but who can show good reason to be joining the course.
Please email Amélie to apply for one.

You can see a full lineup of speakers and topics below

Tuesday 17 November

9:45-9:50: Introduction  – Jo Hickman, Public Law Project

9:50-11:15: Opening talk: A crash course on automated systems

Professor Reuben Binns, Oxford University

Cédric Lombion, Open Knowledge Foundation

13:30-14:45: Administrative law and automated systems

Aidan Wills, Matrix Chambers

Dr Jennifer Cobbe, Cambridge University

*Note: We have had to change the start time of this session from 11.30 to 13.30, due to a scheduling conflict. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Wednesday 18 November

9:30-10:45: Data protection law and automated systems

Ravi Naik, AWO

Christopher Knight, 11KBW

Professor Lilian Edwards, Newcastle University

11:00-12:15: Human rights, equality law and automated systems

Dee Masters, Cloisters Chambers

Professor Lorna McGregor, University of Essex

Thursday 19 November

9:30-11:30: Lessons from litigation
Looking at key cases in public law and technology and what lessons can be drawn from that into future cases.

Chair: Sara Lomri, Public Law Project

Chai Patel, JCWI (the Home Office visa streaming algorithm case)

Carla Clarke, CPAG (challenges to automation at the Department for Work and Pensions)

Megan Goulding, Liberty (the Bridges facial recognition case)

Tijmen Wisman, Chairman of the Platform for Civil Rights and Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit (the SyRI risk algorithm case)

12:00-13:00: Case study
Delegates will have the opportunity to work through a hypothetical case study of automated decision-making, drawing on the material covered during the programme to identify grounds of challenge and case strategies. The case study will be supervised by lawyers and researchers from PLP and Open Rights Group.

13:30-14:30: Closing conversation: Frontiers in algorithmic government

Professor Michele Gilman, University of Baltimore and Swee Leng Harris, Luminate