UNESCO PUBLISHES GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL AI USAGE IN COURTS.

“AI will continue to shape institutions worldwide. The real question is not whether AI will be used, but whether institutions will have the people capable of deploying it responsibly.”

Cover page for the UNESCO-AI usage guidelines

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping justice systems across the world. From case management and document review to translation and anonymisation of judicial decisions, AI promises efficiency, scale and improved access to justice.Yet its use in courts and tribunals also raises profound ethical, legal and human-rights questions.

In response to this growing tension, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) published the Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals in 2025 the first globally oriented ethical and operational framework dedicated specifically to AI in judicial contexts.

Developed through consultations with over 36,000 judicial actors across 160 countries, the Guidelines aim to ensure that AI enhances efficiency without compromising the rule of law, judicial independence or fundamental rights.

UNESCO recognises that AI tools are already embedded in judicial systems, supporting tasks such as:

1. Case allocation and backlog management

2. Large-scale document search and review

3. Translation of legal documents across languages

4. Anonymisation of rulings and judgments

5. Legal research and predictive analytics

These applications demonstrate AI’s potential to reduce delays, improve access to justice and even minimise what scholars describe as judicial “noise”; the unwanted variability in decisions that should be consistent.

However, UNESCO draws a firm line: Artificial Intelligence must remain assistive, not substitutive. Judicial reasoning, discretion and accountability cannot be delegated to machines.

To guide the responsible adoption, the Guidelines set out 15 universal principles that apply across the entire AI lifecycle; from development and procurement to deployment and decommissioning.

While the principles are often discussed as technical or regulatory requirements, many of these principles depend on something far more practical; they underscore ‘whether institutions have people with the skills to implement, monitor and challenge AI systems responsibly’.

This is where ethical frameworks frequently encounter friction not due to lack of policy, but due to lack of operational capability.

UNESCO is explicit about the risks of poorly governed AI in judicial settings. These include:

1. Algorithmic bias that reinforces discrimination

2. Breaches of privacy and data protection

3. Overreliance on automated outputs

4. Erosion of judicial independence and public trust

“The scales of justice stand in quiet balance, a reminder that every decision carries weight long before judgment is spoken.”

This gap between ethical intent and practical execution is where many judicial organisations struggle and where the role of human talent becomes decisive.

At Wokolako, where we specialise in building AI-augmented workforces, these guidelines are a stepping stone which reflect a shift we are already pioneering across systems worldwide: AI can only strengthen when human oversight remains central.

Wokolako exists because ethical and principled AI usage in organisations rarely fails, but it fails when there is lack of skilled human oversight.

By acknowledging and embracing our talent with relevant emerging guidelines by different governing bodies, we help organisations move from aspiration to implementation, ensuring that Artificial Intelligence remains an assistive tool across systems be it in the Health, Financial, Industrial or Agricultural sectors.

Wokolako remains vigilant in acknowledging emerging guidelines by relevant governing bodies across all regions and it will undertake necessary steps in safeguarding our client’s interests at all times.