The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) is pleased to announce that its consortium has been awarded by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers) a new project: JUST AI-BLOC EU – Judiciary Utilising Smart Technologies: AI and Blockchain for Optimised Compliance in the EU.
The two-year project, led by Cristina M. Mariottini and Christiane Lamesch, brings together leading organisations from across Europe to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain technologies can be responsibly, lawfully, and effectively deployed to enhance trust, transparency, and efficiency within judicial systems. As project coordinator, EIPA will lead the overall implementation and dissemination of a comprehensive, practice-oriented training programme tailored to the needs of legal and judicial professionals across the European Union.
Supporting Europe’s Digital Justice Transformation
The European Union is actively legislating on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain to ensure that they contribute to a modern, efficient, and trustworthy justice sector, fully aligned with Union values and fundamental rights. As these technologies increasingly transform the delivery of legal and judicial services, the EU seeks to establish a clear, coherent, and uniform regulatory framework that promotes innovation while safeguarding democracy, the rule of law, and effective access to justice.
In the field of AI, the EU promotes human-centric and trustworthy systems capable of enhancing judicial efficiency through improved case management, legal research, decision-support tools, and facilitated access to justice, while ensuring full respect for fundamental rights, including fair trial guarantees, non-discrimination, and data protection. In parallel, Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) offer significant potential to strengthen transparency, security, and traceability in judicial processes, notably in areas such as evidence management, identity verification, smart contracts, and cross-border judicial cooperation within the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice.
As the regulatory landscape expands and the justice sector undergoes an unprecedented digital transformation, AI and Blockchain present powerful opportunities to enhance efficiency, security, and trust in legal proceedings. At the same time, they raise new challenges related to legal compliance, fundamental rights protection, ethical governance, and technological literacy, challenges that JUST AI-BLOC EU is specifically designed to address.
Hands-On Training for Legal Professionals
Against this background, JUST AI-BLOC EU will deliver a comprehensive and practice-oriented training programme for judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and judicial officers, focusing on:
- The practical use of AI in the justice sector, including legal analytics, case management systems, predictive justice applications, and decision-support tools
- Blockchain applications such as secure evidence management, digital identity verification, smart contracts, and enhanced traceability of judicial processes
- Compliance with the EU AI Act, with particular emphasis on risk-based regulation, transparency requirements, and safeguards for fundamental rights
- Ethical, legal, and societal challenges related to automated decision-making, data protection, bias, accountability, and fairness
Participants will gain hands-on experience with EU-level digital tools, including AI-powered analytics and Blockchain-based evidence management systems. The programme will also include professional exchanges and Train-the-Trainers activities, fostering mutual trust and supporting the development of a shared European digital judicial culture.
Impact and Outreach
The project aims to directly train at least 325 legal professionals across Europe, with dissemination activities expected to reach a further 200 practitioners. Training materials, project outputs, and regular updates will be made available through a dedicated project webpage on EIPA’s website.
A Strong International Consortium
JUST AI-BLOC EU is implemented by an international consortium representing five EU Member States. EIPA looks forward to close collaboration with its trusted partners:
- Union Européenne Des Huissiers De Justice (UEHJ)
- Ecole De Formation Professionnelle des Avocats Des Barreaux Du Ressort De La Cour D’appel de Paris (EFB)
- The National Institute of Justice in Bulgaria (NIJ)
- The National School Of Judiciary And Public Prosecution in Poland (KSSIP)
- The General Council of Spanish Lawyers – Abogacia Española (CGAE)
