Senior judges warn justice must stay in human hands as AI enters SA courts

Deputy Chief Justice Dunstan Mlambo and UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi during the conference.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may transform South Africa’s courts, but justice itself must remain firmly in human hands.

That was the central message emerging from the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) inaugural AI and the Law Conference, where senior judges, government leaders, and legal practitioners examined how AI is reshaping the legal profession and the administration of justice.

The three-day conference, hosted by UJ’s AI and the Law Institute under the theme Artificial Intelligence and the Law, ended over the weekend and delivered a clear message that AI is no longer a future consideration for South Africa’s justice system.

From digital case management and electronic court filings to AI-assisted legal research, technology is already transforming how justice is administered.