Judiciary Moves to Embrace AI Technology to Improve Court Efficiency
The Judiciary of Uganda is set to undergo a major technological transformation aimed at improving efficiency and access to justice, Chief Justice Flavian Zeija has revealed.
Speaking about the planned reforms on Wednesday at Rukungiri High Court,Justice Zeija said the Judiciary is considering adopting artificial intelligence–powered systems, including voice recognition technology to automatically record and transcribe court proceedings.
“We are moving towards the use of AI-powered voice recognition to record and transcribe court proceedings. This will enable people to leave court with ready transcripts of their cases,” he explained.
He added that the Judiciary is currently evaluating whether to procure new machinery or fully adopt AI-enabled solutions. According to him, efforts are also underway to train the technology to accurately recognize local accents to ensure reliability in Ugandan courtrooms.
“We must ensure that the system we adopt can understand our local accents so that it serves all Ugandans effectively,” Zeija noted.
Beyond technology, the Chief Justice highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen mobile courts, particularly in regions such as Acholi, to bring justice closer to communities. He said these efforts will be supported by cultural mediation under the Alternative Justice System framework.
“We are expanding mobile courts and integrating cultural mediation so that justice is not only accessible but also relevant to our communities,” he said.
Justice Zeija further pointed to a recently passed law that expands the jurisdiction of magistrates, a move expected to reduce case backlog and improve service delivery across the country.
However, challenges remain. Susan Kanyange, a High Court Judge in Rukungiri Circuit, raised concerns about staffing shortages within the Judiciary.
“We are facing serious staffing gaps, with a shortage of judicial officers across many courts,” she noted.
In response, Judiciary Secretary Pius Bigirimana reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to reform and improvement.
“We are implementing transformative measures to address these gaps and improve overall service delivery,” he said.
