THE Supreme Court has adopted a comprehensive framework governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the judiciary, establishing ethical guidelines that emphasize human oversight and accountability in court operations.
The Governance Framework on the Use of Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence in the Judiciary sets rules for deploying AI tools across all court levels, ensuring technology supports — not replaces — human judgment.
The framework is built on three ethical principles: fairness, accountability, and transparency, which aim to "reinforce the public's faith and confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judicial system," according to the resolution.
Human-centered approach
A key feature of the framework is its adoption of the term "human-centered augmented intelligence," emphasizing that technology must remain centered on human values and should only support, not replace, human reason and judgment.
"The use of human-centered augmented intelligence should be centered on human values, such as the promotion of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, dignity and autonomy, privacy and data protection, fairness, nondiscrimination, and social justice," the Court said.
The framework explicitly states that AI tools or their outputs must not be the sole basis for any adjudicatory decision. Human decision-makers remain responsible for independent legal reasoning and final judgments that determine the parties' rights and duties.
Scope and implementation
The framework applies to justices and judges of all court levels, court officials and employees, court users, and vendors or third-party contractors involved in designing, developing, or using AI tools for the judiciary.
No AI tool may be used unless expressly authorized by the Supreme Court en banc. Implementation will proceed in phases, starting with pilot testing before gradual rollout.
A permanent Committee on Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence will be created to serve as the Court's main advisory body, guiding the design, development, and ethical use of AI tools. Members will come from stakeholders in the legal community and other fields relevant to AI use in courts.
Mandatory disclosure
Disclosure of AI use is mandatory under the framework. Users must state the AI tool used, its version, why it was used, and the level of AI involvement and human oversight. They must also declare that they are responsible for the output in line with the accountability principle.
Court officials and employees must disclose the use of AI tools in preparing court-issued documents for adjudication, including:
– Voice-to-text transcription and translation
– Automated compilation of legal authorities and citations
– Legal research and document summarization
– Automated document processing and optical character recognition
– Copy-editing and proofreading
– Data redaction and sanitation
Fairness and privacy protections
The framework requires that the development and use of AI tools must not worsen existing inequalities or create new forms of discrimination. The judiciary shall offer training programs to address algorithmic bias, automation bias, and other negative effects that may arise when people interact with computer systems.
Privacy and data protection must be maintained at all stages — from design to its application or use. Users must know what data is entered into an AI tool, how it is processed, and who can access it. The Court stressed that confidential, privileged, sensitive, or secret information must not be processed using AI tools without express authority.
Before any AI tool is used, a comprehensive risk assessment must be conducted to guard against threats such as data poisoning.
The framework was developed by a working group chaired by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, with Associate Justices Ramon Paul Hernando and Rodil Zalameda as vice chairmen. It was created with input from members of the judiciary, subject matter experts, lawyers, and the academe, and refined through consultations with the Supreme Court, the Management Information Systems Office, and the Office of the Chief Attorney.
The framework draws from global best practices, including the Council of Asean Chief Justices Governance Framework on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for the Asean Judiciaries and Unesco Guidelines for the Use of AI Systems in Courts and Tribunals.
It also expands its ethical scope by including environmental responsibility and sustainability, encouraging the adoption of AI tools that reduce ecological harm and use resources efficiently.
