Kwara CJ cautions lawyers, officials against misuse of AI

The Kwara State Chief Judge, Justice Abiodun Adebara, has cautioned lawyers and judicial officials to use artificial intelligence in judicial administration responsibly and cautiously.

To this end, Adebara noted that AI has come to stay, but added that in judicial administration, AI should be used with caution, as an aid to and not a substitute for human judgment and responsibility.

He explained that if AI is properly harnessed, it could be a powerful tool for advancing knowledge, productivity, and human development.

Adebara spoke during the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year and a valedictory session for Hon. Justice Hannah Ajayi (rtd) in Ilorin last weekend.

According to him, “Notwithstanding its benefits, AI presents significant risks. It can generate inaccurate or entirely fabricated information, hallucinations producing information that is incorrect but presented with great confidence.”

He said that excessive reliance on AI may weaken human judgment, critical thinking, and professional responsibility.

The Chief Judge noted that these risks are particularly serious where AI-generated information is relied upon in matters affecting rights, liberties, livelihoods, or other important human interests.

“Though AI has come to stay, it is my view that in judicial administration, it must be independently verified, sensitive information protected, and systems subjected to appropriate scrutiny for accuracy, fairness, security, and bias. Professionals, especially those of us exercising judicial functions, must retain personal responsibility for decisions made with AI assistance,” he said.

“The guiding principle should be simple: AI may assist human intelligence, but it must never replace human judgment, accountability, fairness, and the rule of law,” Adebara noted.

He stated that a lawyer or judge may use AI to assist with research, summarize voluminous materials, identify issues, or improve administrative efficiency, but they must independently verify materials and personally undertake the judicial reasoning required to reach a decision.

“If judges and legal practitioners rely solely on AI for research, case filing, brief writing, judgment writing, etc., it would pose a great risk to the administration of justice, as AI lacks human emotion, which is vital in judgment writing. The consequences of doing otherwise may be grave. Recently, a Tanzanian court suspended an advocate for six months for citing cases that do not exist, invented by AI,” he said.

Earlier, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, encouraged all judicial officers and members of the justice sector to renew their commitment to the speedy, fair, and effective administration of justice.

AbdulRazaq added that the 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.