Introduction—An Awfully Big Experiment

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in the digitalisation of legal systems across the world. Using the UK as a case study, this chapter charts the many reasons why change was considered necessary and the form it has taken. It examines the problems recent transformations were intended to address as well as the particular values which underpin them. Outlining key themes which are pursued across the book such as the transformation of civic sphere, trust in government, and access to justice for all, the chapter makes the case for a renewed focus on lay participants in the legal system.