Judiciary must embrace AI with caution – Taraba Chief Judge

The Chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Agya, has cautioned that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the judiciary must be guided by the principles of judicial independence, impartiality, integrity, accountability and fairness.

Agya gave the warning on Friday in Jalingo while declaring open a two-day training programme for High Court judges on the application of AI in judicial processes.

He said AI literacy and its responsible application had become increasingly important in modern judicial administration, describing the technology as one of the most transformative developments of the current era.

According to him, the world is witnessing an unprecedented technological revolution that is reshaping the way institutions operate, decisions are made and services are delivered.

“Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping the way institutions operate, decisions are made, and services are delivered. The justice sector is not immune to these developments,” he said.

The chief judge noted that courts and judicial institutions across the globe were exploring ways in which emerging technologies could improve efficiency, expand access to justice, strengthen legal research and support judicial administration.

He, however, stressed that while AI presents significant opportunities, it also raises ethical, legal and practical concerns relating to accuracy, confidentiality, transparency, bias and judicial responsibility.

Agya explained that the workshop was designed to equip judges of the Taraba State High Court with the knowledge and skills needed to understand both the capabilities and limitations of AI and to apply the technology responsibly within the judicial process.

“The objective is not to replace judicial reasoning or discretion, but to enhance our understanding of technological tools that may assist us in the performance of our duties while preserving the human judgment that remains at the heart of justice delivery,” he said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Lex Decipher Tech Ltd, Mr Segun Meleki, who served as the resource person, commended the leadership of the Taraba judiciary for embracing innovation and demonstrating interest in the application of AI.

Meleki said the technology offered enormous opportunities despite its challenges and had the potential to enhance justice delivery across the judicial system.

He expressed optimism that participants would acquire the necessary skills for the effective application of AI in judicial processes.

According to him, judges across various levels of the court system had increasingly embraced the global trend of integrating AI into legal and judicial operations.