SC plans to use AI to categorise cases for fixing but ‘not yet ready’: CJP Afridi

Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Monday said the Supreme Court had plans to use artificial intelligence to categorise cases for fixation but the judiciary was “not ready” for the technology yet.
He was addressing a judicial conference at the apex court, marking the commencement of the new judicial year.
“We all talk about technology, we all talk about AI to be utilised for enhancing the justice delivery system,” Justice Afridi said, adding that 61,000 files will be digitally screened under a project that will be completed within six months.
“It is only when you have them digitally scanned that you can utilise the tools of AI for categorisation. It will be easy to categorise cases and to fix before one bench one issue,” he said.
The chief justice emphasised, “Yes, technology is necessary. Yes, AI has to be utilised. But no, not now. We are not ready for it. We have to prepare ourselves for that.”
Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha A. Malik, Athar Minallah, Shahid Waheed, Musarrat Hilali, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Malik Shahzad Ahmad were among the fellow SC judges seen attending the event. Judges of the high courts were also present.
During his speech, CJP Afridi also detailed a number of new policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) introduced to address the structure of discussions on important issues.
Justice Afridi remarked that the chief justice could previously take up any case out of order for an early hearing, but SOPs were now in place to prevent that.
Stating that the court was taking up cases on a “first-come, first-served” basis, the top judge clarified that the court would not hear cases out of their order.
Then, apparently responding to one of the questions raised in Justice Shah’s recent letter on the CJP having powers to grant or refuse judges’ leaves, Justice Afridi said leaves outside of judicial holidays required permission.
“Let’s look at the grant of leave. I made it very clear, during holidays anyone who wants to go anywhere, no issue. But when there is court work, then I said here is the discretion, discretion is the exercise, it is the criteria, you have got everything in writing.”