Hong Kong drug offenders get clearer view of options as new computer program scans thousands of cases to determine likely sentences
- Created by the University of Hong Kong’s law and technology centre, the new system quickly compares decades of rulings against recent cases
- It is hoped the new tool will be useful for lawyers and social workers often forced to rely on their own experience or research in guiding clients
A University of Hong Kong team has merged law with artificial intelligence to develop a computer program they say can predict sentences in drug-trafficking cases with up to 90 per cent accuracy.
While the program is not expected to replace professional advice given by lawyers, Anne Cheung Shann-yue, a co-director of HKU’s law and technology centre, said she hoped it would be a helpful tool for those tasked with explaining drug offenders their options.
“This software is dedicated to the professionals, including lawyers, social workers and teachers, who sometimes find it hard to explain the legal principles,” the law professor said as she unveiled the system at the varsity campus on Tuesday.
Benjamin Kao Chi-ming, the centre’s other co-director, said the platform was made possible by teaching the computer to read more than 3,000 judgments on drug-trafficking cases.
Users accessing the webpage are first asked to enter the type of drug involved in the case and the amount – two key pieces of information in determining how long a sentence is likely to be.