Harringtons LLP sponsors Kilkenny Law Festival as “Judge vs AI” sparks national debate
Oct 6
2 min read
Harringtons LLP was proud to be the main sponsor of the 2026 Kilkenny Law Festival, supporting a public conversation about justice, legal rights and the changing role of technology in the courts.
Held from 25–27 September, the festival brought together judges, lawyers, journalists, authors and members of the public to explore how the law affects everyday life. Its programme addressed subjects ranging from criminal justice and forensic evidence to freedom of expression and artificial intelligence.
One of its most topical discussions asked a question with serious implications: could an AI system be trusted to decide a court case?
The festival’s “Judge vs AI” exercise gave four AI models the same fictional Irish High Court case concerning a contested European Arrest Warrant. Each received the same evidence and instructions, including deliberately planted legal errors.
According to the organisers’ published analysis, the models reached markedly different conclusions: two favoured surrender, one refused it, and another sought further information before deciding. The exercise also exposed differences in their handling of evidence, legal authorities and changes in the law. The panel included former Supreme Court judge Marie Baker, festival co-founder Enda Leahy, legal affairs editor Shane Phelan and AI academic Alastair Moore.
For Harringtons LLP, supporting this discussion reflects the importance of making the legal system more accessible and encouraging informed scrutiny of developments that may affect clients’ rights.
Technology can assist legal work, but confident language is not a substitute for reliable sources, careful examination of evidence or professional judgment. Those distinctions matter particularly where a person’s liberty, reputation or right to a fair hearing is at stake.
The debate reached a wider audience through the Irish Independent’s Indo Daily, where Fionnán Sheahan and Shane Phelan examined the festival experiment and the prospect of AI judges. RTÉ also featured the festival and its exploration of AI in the courtroom.
Harringtons LLP congratulates the organisers, speakers and contributors on a festival that opened important legal questions to a wider public.
Explore the festival
The official Kilkenny Law Festival website acknowledges Harringtons among its supporters. The organisers have also published the Judge vs AI results, fictional case papers and AI responses, allowing readers to examine the exercise for themselves.
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