Judges urged to keep pace with AI, digital evidence as technology reshapes justice

The Judiciary has called for continuous capacity building of judges and other justice sector actors as rapidly evolving technology increasingly transforms how evidence is generated, crimes are committed and disputes are resolved.

Principal Judge, Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, said emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes, synthetic media, digital identity and encrypted communications are creating new challenges that require justice professionals to continuously update their skills.

She made the remarks on Friday while closing a three-day training for justice actors on communications-related disputes and emerging technology organised by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) in collaboration with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Lady Justice Abodo commended the two institutions for the partnership, describing collaboration between the justice and communications sectors as increasingly important as technology becomes deeply integrated into Uganda’s justice system.

“Technology now shapes how evidence is created, offences are committed, investigations conducted and disputes resolved,” she said.

Digital evidence poses new challenges

The training focused on the growing importance of electronic and digital evidence in investigations and court proceedings.

According to the Principal Judge, participants were equipped with knowledge on identifying, analysing and interpreting digital evidence, with particular attention to authenticity, integrity, reliability, chain of custody and evidential weight.

The participants also examined cybercrime and cyber-enabled offences, as well as the challenges associated with digitally manipulated audio, video and images.

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has made the verification of digital content increasingly complex, with manipulated images, videos and audio capable of appearing authentic.

Lady Justice Abodo said these developments require justice sector actors to develop a shared understanding of how digital evidence should be handled and assessed.

She emphasised that digital evidence does not fall within the responsibility of a single institution.

Investigators, forensic experts, prosecutors, advocates, regulators and judicial officers must therefore work together to establish common professional standards and approaches to digital evidence.

Call for permanent training programme

The Principal Judge proposed that JTI, UCC and other relevant stakeholders establish a dedicated and continuously updated training module covering emerging communications-related offences, digital evidence, cybercrime, artificial intelligence and other information and communication technology matters.

She also called for the institutionalisation of the JTI-UCC partnership through a structured continuing legal education programme.

Such a programme, she said, would enable justice sector professionals to regularly update their knowledge as technology develops.

The need for continuous training is becoming more urgent as artificial intelligence and related technologies introduce new forms of evidence and new methods of committing offences.

Developments in synthetic media, deepfakes, digital identity and encrypted communications could create increasingly complex questions for investigators and courts.

Technology must not compromise justice

Despite the rapid pace of technological change, Lady Justice Abodo cautioned that the justice system must remain anchored in established legal principles.

She said technological advancement should not come at the expense of fairness, legality, authenticity, reliability, due process and the protection of fundamental rights.

The challenge for the justice system, therefore, is not simply to understand new technologies but to ensure they are handled within the framework of the law and established principles of justice.

Lady Justice Abodo urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training to their daily work.

She challenged them to use the skills to improve investigations, prosecutions, legal advocacy and judicial reasoning, ultimately contributing to better access to justice for Ugandans.

Judiciary seeks stronger cyber-forensics capacity

The Chairperson of the JTI Governing Council and Supreme Court Justice, Justice Mike Chibita, also commended UCC for the quality of the training.

He said participants had acquired significant knowledge from the sessions and called for additional training in cyber forensics and related areas.

Justice Chibita noted that technology should no longer be viewed as a future issue for the justice sector because it is already influencing court processes, investigations and the nature of disputes before the courts.

His remarks underscore the growing need for specialised skills within the justice system as cybercrime and technology-related disputes become more prominent.

Building a technology-ready justice system

The three-day programme reflects a broader need for closer cooperation between institutions responsible for regulation, law enforcement and the administration of justice.

As more transactions, communications and interactions move into digital spaces, courts are increasingly required to determine the reliability and legal significance of electronic information.

This creates new demands on every stage of the justice chain—from the collection and preservation of digital evidence by investigators to its presentation by prosecutors and advocates and assessment by judicial officers.

The participants were awarded certificates of completion at the end of the programme, recognising their participation in the capacity-building initiative.

For the Judiciary, continued investment in specialised training could become critical to ensuring that Uganda’s justice system remains capable of responding effectively to technological change while protecting the rights of citizens.

The message from the training was clear: technology is changing the evidence, crimes and disputes coming before the justice system, and the people administering justice must evolve with it.