The UK Jurisdiction Taskforce has today published an authoritative Legal Statement on Liability for non-deliberate AI harms under English private law. Generative AI is now widely used across many areas of life. The Statement seeks to address is in what circumstances, on what legal bases, and on which supply chain actors, will English law impose liability for loss resulting from the use of generative AI.
Subjects addressed in the Statement include:
• vicarious liability and non-delegable duties;
• legal and factual causation;
• negligence (including potential liability for not using AI);
• negligent misstatement;
• deceit; and
• defamation.
The Legal Statement has been prepared by the UKJT’s drafting team of Matthew Lavy KC, 5RB’s Richard Munden, Lucy McCormick, Iain Munro, Isabel Barter, and Jacob Turner, in consultation with a wider expert group comprising Prof Ryan Abbott, Lawrence Akka KC, Matt Frank, Prof Sarah Green, David Quest KC, Tom Whittaker, Prof Peter Wills and Michael Workman.
A consultation period on an initial draft took place in January and February 2026, with responses feeding into the final form of the Statement.
Established in 2020, the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT) is an industry-led initiative, tasked with promoting the use of English law and UK’s jurisdictions for technology and digital innovation. It is chaired by Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls, and also includes Lord Justice Richard Snowden and High Court Judge Sir Antony Zacaroli.
The Legal Statement, launched at an event hosted by LawtechUK at the Law Society, is now available on the UKJT website here.