THE FOURTH WAVE OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE: HYPERAUTOMATION AS A TOOL FOR OVERCOMING TRADITIONAL BARRIERS

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical obstacles to access to justice, based on the work of Mauro Cappelletti and Bryant Garth, and proposes the concept of a “Fourth Wave” of reforms driven by hyperautomation. Starting from the three classical waves, namely, legal aid, the defense of diffuse interests, and the comprehensive approach to access to justice — it argues that the integrated application of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and data analytics represents a new frontier in overcoming barriers such as financial costs, procedural delays, and informational asymmetry between the parties. The methodology adopted is a qualitative literature review, connecting the established theoretical framework with recent scholarship on technology and innovation in the legal sector. The article concludes that, despite ethical and implementation challenges, hyperautomation holds the potential to democratize access to justice on an unprecedented scale, demanding a new perspective on the structure and delivery of judicial services.