AI Has Entered Nigeria’s Justice System. But Judges Warn Against Letting It Take Over
Retired judges and legal practitioners have warned that careless reliance on artificial intelligence for legal research, filings and judgments could undermine justice, while calling for stronger safeguards around how AI is used in Nigeria’s legal system.
AI Has Reached the Judiciary
Artificial intelligence is increasingly finding its way into legal practice, but retired judges and other Nigerian jurists are warning that the technology must not be allowed to replace human judgment.
Speaking in Port Harcourt on Saturday at the launch of AI, Justice and the Rule of Law: The Denton-West Principles for AI Governance, Digital Sovereignty and Constitutional Democracy, the speakers said excessive reliance on AI for legal research, case filing and judgment writing could create serious risks for the administration of justice.
Retired Court of Appeal Justice Sotonye Denton-West warned that judges and lawyers must evaluate AI-generated material carefully rather than accepting its output at face value.
The Lawyer Still Carries the Responsibility
Retired Rivers State High Court Justice Adolphus Enebeli acknowledged that AI has come to stay but stressed that lawyers remain responsible for whatever they submit to court.
His warning goes to one of the most practical problems created by generative AI: an answer can appear convincing while containing inaccurate facts or legal authorities. He urged practitioners to verify information generated by AI before relying on it.
Justice Tamunoigoni Oji, representing the Rivers State Chief Judge, similarly said judges are already discussing the impact of AI on the justice system. She argued that technology should remain a tool for human beings rather than something that takes control of legal decision-making.
Innovation Without Losing the Human Element
The debate comes as Nigerian courts and lawyers increasingly embrace digital technology.
The Federal High Court, for example, has expanded electronic court services, while the Chief Justice of Nigeria has previously stressed that technology should support rather than replace constitutional judicial responsibilities.
The latest warning therefore raises a question that Nigerian legal practice will increasingly have to confront: where should the line be drawn between using AI to make legal work faster and allowing it to influence decisions that require human judgment?
For lawyers, judges and the institutions regulating the profession, the challenge may no longer be whether AI should be used, but how to ensure that the person using it remains accountable for the result.
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