Akwa Ibom to deploy Artificial Intelligence for court proceedings 

Akwa Ibom State Judiciary has begun the process of using Artificial Intelligence, AI, in court proceedings.

This followed a week-long training for the pilot phase of the programme on Tuesday, where technical teams conducted assessments of designated courtrooms, installing the audio capture and transcription equipment required for the demonstration phase.

Speaking at the training, Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, Justice Ekaete Fabian-Obot, said the initiative was part of efforts to ensure faster and more efficient management of cases, noting that AI, when responsibly deployed, could provide valuable tools for legal research, case management, and court administration.

She, however, stressed that the introduction of AI technology does not replace judicial reasoning or discretion, even as she thanked the trainers for their willingness to share knowledge.

Her words: “Sound judgment remains a human responsibility guided by conscience, legal precedent, and the Constitution. The training provides an opportunity for participants to explore both the possibilities and ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence in the courts, ensuring that technological innovation remains consistent with judicial independence, due process, and accountability.

“The technology will significantly reduce the burden of long hand-writing traditionally associated with court proceedings and help mitigate the health challenges often faced by judges due to prolonged writing.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director of LexScript AI, Barrister Emeka Albert, thanked the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for its leadership in promoting innovation within Nigeria’s justice sector.

Albert disclosed that during the next stage of the exercise, the system will be deployed during two days of live court sittings.

“During this period, the Lextech Capture team will handle matters listed on the court’s cause list, capturing ten cases each day. The proceedings will be processed through an AI-assisted workflow to produce verbatim transcripts, which will be delivered to the court within 24 hours.”

Recall that Akwa Ibom is among the six states selected across Nigeria for the pilot programme by the National Judicial Institute, represented at the event by Chrystine Edwards. The NJI, established under the NJI Act of 1991, is responsible for organizing training programmes aimed at improving the capacity and productivity of judicial officers and staff across the country.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by stakeholders in the justice sector, including the State Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Ekaete F. Fabian-Obot; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom SAN; a representative of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja; the Chief Registrar, Affiong Usimka Esq.; judges and magistrates, as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Uyo Branch, Barrister Ime Umofia.

Akwa Ibom to deploy Artificial Intelligence for court proceedings