ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani judicial system is bracing for a technological overhaul. Legal authorities are finalizing a framework to introduce Artificial Intelligence tools into court proceedings, aiming to clear a backlog of over two million pending cases.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Law and Justice, focuses on automating transcriptions, organizing case files, and identifying legal precedents. Officials argue that manual filing and research have crippled the efficiency of lower courts for decades. By digitizing the discovery process, the government hopes to cut the time required for routine hearings by nearly 40%.
Critics, however, remain wary. The primary concern isn’t technical; it’s the potential for algorithmic bias. Legal experts point out that AI models trained on historical data may inherit the systemic prejudices of the past, potentially automating discrimination rather than eliminating it.
“We aren’t replacing judges,” a senior official at the Law Ministry told reporters on the condition of anonymity. “We are simply removing the clerical burden that keeps a judge in chambers when they should be in the courtroom.”
The plan involves a pilot program in the Islamabad High Court. If successful, the system will expand to provincial courts in Lahore and Karachi by early next year. The software, developed in collaboration with local tech firms, will prioritize Urdu-language processing — a significant hurdle for many off-the-shelf international AI tools.
The shift comes as the Supreme Court faces mounting pressure to modernize. The current system relies on paper-based records, a process that frequently leads to lost files and delayed justice.
Yet, the legal fraternity is divided. Some bar associations argue that the move lacks transparency, fearing the software could be manipulated to favor specific outcomes. Others welcome the change, citing the sheer exhaustion of managing endless paperwork that offers no real value to the pursuit of justice.
For now, the project remains in its experimental phase. Whether this move streamlines the path to a verdict or adds another layer of complexity to an already strained system will depend on how rigorously the software is audited before it ever touches a real-world case.
