Lawyers in western Uganda have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to improve the delivery of legal services, widen access to justice and promote ethical governance.
The call was made during the Uganda Law Society (ULS) Techfest workshop held yesterday at the Law Development Centre in Mbarara City, where lawyers were introduced to emerging technologies and their application in the legal profession.
The workshop was held under the theme: “Digital Democracy: Advancing Access to Justice, Innovation and Ethical Governance through Technology.”
The Techfest is being conducted across the country as part of ULS efforts to promote digital transformation in the legal profession.
The Mbarara session brought together lawyers from the Western Region, while another session is scheduled for today in Gulu, followed by Mbale on September 16.
The national climax will be held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on September 17 and 18 under the theme: “The Radical New Bar: Pioneering AI-Empowered Justice, Innovation, Ethics, Inclusion and Sustainable Transformation.”
Speaking at the Mbarara workshop, ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe said technology was no longer optional for lawyers because it was increasingly becoming central to the delivery of legal services and administration of justice.
“Technology is no longer optional for the legal profession. It is increasingly becoming central to the delivery of legal services and administration of justice,” Mr Asiimwe said.
He said the Techfest, which was introduced last year as part of the implementation of the four Ds under the Radical New Bar ideology, was intended to expose lawyers to emerging technologies, automated legal processes and innovations that could improve the efficiency, accessibility and quality of legal services.
Asiimwe said taking the Techfest beyond Kampala was intended to give lawyers across the country an opportunity to participate in discussions on digital transformation, interact with innovators and experience technologies changing the legal profession.
He also commended the Judiciary for its progress in digitising court processes, particularly through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS).
Asiimwe said ECCMIS had improved the way lawyers interact with courts by making the filing and management of cases more efficient.
He urged lawyers to take an active interest in digital transformation and prepare to learn, adapt and use emerging technologies to improve service delivery.
Local solutions
The Managing Partner of Diamond Advocates, Galandi Tony Kiire, said lawyers, magistrates, court clerks, law students and innovators should not only consume technology but also participate in developing solutions that address Uganda’s specific legal challenges.
Kiire said many legal technology tools currently available were developed outside Uganda and might not adequately reflect the country’s local languages, customary land practices and other social realities.
He said local legal professionals should therefore be involved in developing technologies that respond to the needs of Ugandans and prevent digital innovation from creating new barriers to justice.
Kiire also raised concerns about ethical challenges associated with the use of AI in the legal profession.
He said lawyers needed to consider the risk of inaccurate information generated by AI systems, the quality of data used to train such systems and who should be held responsible when technology produces wrong legal advice or misinterprets legal provisions.
He said such challenges require locally developed solutions involving lawyers, judges, innovators and other stakeholders.
Judiciary’s digital shift
The chief guest, Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, Justice Kwemara Kafuuzi Gelase, also urged lawyers to embrace technology, saying it was already transforming the operations of the Judiciary.
Justice Kafuuzi said the Judiciary had adopted several digital systems that enable courts to conduct virtual sessions, file documents electronically and manage court processes digitally.
He said the use of technology had improved efficiency, reduced delays and made justice more accessible to court users.
Justice Kafuuzi commended ULS for organising the Techfest, saying such initiatives provide members of the legal profession with an opportunity to understand emerging technologies and use them responsibly.
He urged lawyers to embrace innovation while maintaining professional ethics, confidentiality and accountability when using AI and other digital tools.
