Judiciary to roll out AI-powered tool for transcription of court proceedings

During 2024 Chief Justice’s Roundtable, CJ Martha Koome said the AI tool, which is part of the Judiciary’s digitization initiative, will offer transcription support to various court stations. 

Koome added that at an advanced stage of the project, a Judiciary Transcription Centre will be established to see the service being offered nationwide. 

“This project, which received significant support from KEPSA during its pilot phase under the Ajira Digital Project, aims to accelerate the transcription of court proceedings,” CJ Koome noted. 

The AI tool that will enable workflow automation within the courts is an addition to other digital initiatives the court have adopted to improve service delivery and manage backlog of cases. 

In March 2024, the Chief Justice launched an e-filing platform, and directed that no court should print pleadings and documents from July 1, 2024.

The e-filing platform, that took effect countrywide after successful piloting in Nairobi County, allows cases to be filed remotely, eliminating the need for physical court attendance by litigants and advocates. 

The system also supports remote court fee assessments, online inquiries about case status, automatic allocation of cases to judicial officers, and convenient downloading of case documents.

“Judges and magistrates can draft, edit, and publish rulings, judgments, and orders online, as well as generate individual case statistics and performance reports through the case tracking Judiciaryfacing part of the e-filing system,” Koome told the roundtable on Tuesday, arguing that the e-filing has promoted the integration and interoperability of information systems.

In addition, Koome listed the causelist portal, Judiciary Data Dashboard as other innovations that the Judiciary has pursued to enhance the justice system. 

Other than the AI tool, Koome also stated that the Judiciary is developing a public facing court decision portal where all decisions posted on the Case Tracking system will be published and made accessible to the public.