Kwara State Chief Judge, Abiodun Adebara has called on attorneys and judges in Nigeria to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the administration of justice judiciously and cautiously.
Justice Adebara agreed that AI was here to stay, but added that “in judicial administration AI should be used with caution as an aid to and not a substitute for human judgement and responsibility,” The Nation reported.
He said that if correctly harnessed, AI might be a formidable instrument to further knowledge, productivity and human progress.
The Chief Judge gave the charge in Ilorin, the state capital, at the beginning of the 2026/2027 legal year and valedictory session for Justice Hannah Ajayi (rtd.).
He said: “While there were benefits to AI, it also posed huge risks. It may create information that was wrong, or even completely invented, i.e. hallucinations – generating information that was wrong but with tremendous confidence.
“Over-reliance on artificial intelligence may also degrade human judgement, critical thinking and professional accountability. These hazards are especially serious where reliance is placed upon information created by AI in areas impacting rights, liberties, livelihood or other key human interests.
“In the light of the above, I am of the view that although AI has come to stay, it needs to be independently verified, sensitive information protected, and systems subjected to appropriate scrutiny for accuracy, fairness, security and bias in judicial administration.
“Professionals, including those of us doing judicial work, must be personally responsible for decisions made with the aid of AI.
“The guiding principle should be simple: AI is able to be an aid to human intelligence, but never a substitute for human judgement, accountability, fairness and the rule of law. A lawyer/judge may utilise AI to aid with research, summarise large amounts of material, uncover difficulties or increase administrative efficiency, but he must independently check documents and personally execute the judicial reasoning required to reach a conclusion.
If judges and legal practitioners depend only on AI for research, filing of cases, drafting briefs, writing judgements, etc. It would be a major risk for the administration of justice as AI has no human feeling which is important in making judgements.
“Failure to do so could have serious consequences. “Recently, a Tanzanian court suspended an advocate for six months after citing non-existent cases invented by AI.”
In his address, the Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by his Deputy, Kayode Alabi, urged all judicial officers and members of the justice sector to reassert their commitment to the fast, fair and effective administration of justice. AccessServices
“The Kwara State Government will continue to do its part by providing the necessary support and creating an enabling environment for the judiciary to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively,” AbdulRazaq stated.
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