SUPREME Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen called for a purposeful approach to digital transformation for the judiciary without displacing human judgment and accountability.
”Technology is an instrument of institutional reform; it is not the reform itself,” Leonen said at the recent Microsoft Frontier Transformation Day in Makati City.
He added that the judiciary’s digital transformation is anchored on the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027, which prioritizes timely and fair justice, transparency and accountability, equal and inclusive justice, and technologically adaptive management.
Digitalization, he said, may not always be the answer, as some institutional problems may instead require streamlined processes, better training, stronger data systems or clearer rules.
Leonen said meaningful transformation demands institutional honesty, process reengineering, organizational change and capability building. Personnel must be prepared to adopt new practices, work across traditional divisions and continuously learn, he added.
Among the judiciary’s major digital initiatives is eCourt PH 2.0, which aims to establish a secure and integrated digital environment for court proceedings. The system includes electronic filing and service of pleadings, digital court management and electronic appeals, while expanding digital tools to other judicial processes.
Leonen cited the use of videoconferencing technology in remote areas such as Tawi-Tawi, where equipment was transported by boat to enable litigants and witnesses to participate in proceedings without costly and lengthy travel.
”That, to us, is access to justice,” he said.
On artificial intelligence (AI), Leonen said the Supreme Court has adopted a Governance Framework on the Use of Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence in the Judiciary, designed to put safeguards around AI use while protecting justice, accountability, human dignity and social justice.
The framework is built around ethical and management governance. Leonen said the approach recognizes AI as a tool to augment human capabilities while preserving human judgment and accountability.
Generative AI is currently not allowed in court proceedings and administration. Scriptix, a voice-to-text transcription tool, is the only AI tool approved by the Court and is being used by court stenographers nationwide.
The framework requires disclosure of AI use, including for tasks such as proofreading, and preservation of AI-generated outputs to allow verification and ensure accountability.
Leonen said that digital and AI literacy must keep pace with technological change. The Supreme Court is conducting its AI Caravan on the critical use of AI in the Philippine legal profession and judiciary, while the Philippine Judicial Academy is developing a course for judges on responsible AI use.
He said training, continuing education and consultation with end users are crucial to building trust in transformation initiatives.
”When we speak of digital transformation, we should not imagine that we are moving away from human institutions. We should be asking how technology can help human institutions become better, more humane at what they are supposed to do,” Leonen said.
