Exeter College Fellow launches the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice

Professor Philippa Webb, Fellow by Special election of Exeter College and Professor of Public International Law at the Blavatnik School of Government, has co‑founded and become Director of the newly established Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice (OITJ), launched in October 2025. This first‑of‑its‑kind initiative brings together leading academic research with rapidly evolving technology in order to advance justice. 

The Institute emerges from a partnership between the Blavatnik School at the University of Oxford and the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ). At the formal launch event — featuring co‑founders including Professor Webb and Professor of Practice Amal Clooney — the Institute’s three core pillars were unveiled: advancing access to justice, promoting accountability (especially for cyber‑related harm), and strengthening fair trials in the age of artificial intelligence. Lord Hermer, the UK Attorney-General, noted that, “the potential for empowerment is unlimited and that’s what makes the creation of this Institute so inspiring”.  

The Institute will spearhead a suite of pioneering projects. Among its flagship efforts: 

• The AI Justice Atlas, an interactive global mapping tool that records how AI is used and regulated in courtrooms across more than 15 jurisdictions, with 40 more being added in 2026.  

• AI‑powered legal support tools — for example, a WhatsApp‑based chatbot offering legal advice and referral services to women and girls in Malawi, developed in partnership with the Women Lawyers’ Association of Malawi.  

• A policy initiative exploring new mechanisms for legal accountability in the growing realm of cyber‑operations, and research into how digital evidence can be preserved, managed, and presented in courts worldwide.  

In announcing the Institute, Professor Webb described the collaboration as “a paradigm shift in how we approach justice in the digital age,” emphasising that combining rigorous academic research with CFJ’s on‑the‑ground legal aid work can ensure technological change reinforces — rather than erodes — fundamental principles such as the right to a fair trial.  

Readers may view the full launch event for the Institute on YouTube and visit the Institute’s website for further details of its mission and projects.