Dr McInerney’s prize-winning book titled “When Should an Algorithm Decide? An Account of the Potential and Limitations of AI in the Judicial Role” tackles a profound and timely question: What aspects of the fundamentally social activity of judging disputes cannot be reliably or safely recreated through artificial intelligence (AI), including Large Language Models (LLMs)? The argument is made that judicial decision-making is a dynamic and fundamentally social activity. For AI to successfully recreate the judicial decision-making process, it would need to replicate the entire socio-legal context which shapes and conditions the law in practice. Indeed, even if this were technically feasible, such an AI system would be as complex as the system it is attempting to replicate, and it would be plagued by its own idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies. To make the argument, Dr McInerney relies on several key elements of judicial decision-making that cannot be automated without distortion. 

Dr McInerney shared: “I am very chuffed to be awarded the inaugural First Book Prize by Oxford University Press. This opportunity with OUP will not only strengthen the reach, impact, and quality of my current research but will also enhance its development in the years to come. I am very grateful for the recognition and look forward to the support and collaboration with OUP along the way. The support from the School of Law in Queen's has been invaluable, and I am deeply grateful to the community here that have helped bring this book to life.”

The First Book Prize celebrates early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences, offering winners the chance to publish their debut book fully open access—with all fees waived—alongside a hardback edition. This initiative reflects OUP’s commitment to fostering global impact and accessibility in academic research.

Sophie Goldsworthy, OUP’s Global Academic Publisher, emphasised:

“It’s our hope that, as our inaugural cohort, this outstanding group of researchers will become a meaningful network for each other, just as we look forward to collaborating closely with them in building clearer pathways to publishing for scholars at the early stages of their careers and maximising the global impact of their work.”

Head of School, Professor Warren Barr commented, “This is incredible news for Tomás - this is a major achievement and so richly deserved.  Many, many congratulations, Tomás.  The subject matter of the book also reflects the leading role that QUB Law School and the Northern Ireland legal profession play in engaging critically with the opportunities and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in the law."

Congratulations once again to Dr. McInerney on this wonderful achievement!

https://corp.oup.com/news/announcing-the-winners-of-the-inaugural-first-book-prize/

Dr Tomás McInerney

School of Law

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