Justice Baffoe-Bonnie proposes use of AI to empanel judges

Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to help select judicial panels for cases.

He says the move could reduce public suspicion about fairness and transparency in the judiciary.

Speaking during his vetting on Monday, November 10, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie explained that AI systems could be programmed with detailed information about judges’ backgrounds, experience, and judicial philosophies to help form balanced panels objectively.

“To get rid of such suspicions, we should consider using AI. If you feed the system with information about judges, their philosophies and everything, it should be able to empanel fairly based on that,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that while AI can enhance transparency, it cannot replace human flexibility and judgment.

Judges, he noted, sometimes have to withdraw from cases for personal or urgent reasons that technology cannot predict.

“In our part of the world, a judge may step down just hours before a case because of a family emergency. AI would struggle to replace a judge in such circumstances,” he added.

Currently, the Supreme Court assigns judges to panels based on seniority, a senior, middle, or junior system that has been used in high-profile cases like the 2013 election petition.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie clarified that this ranking is not a measure of competence but rather a way to ensure balance and fairness among judges.

“Being senior doesn’t necessarily make one the best, but it helps achieve balance when forming panels of five,” he said.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s comments come amid growing discussions about the use of technology in Ghana’s judiciary to promote transparency, efficiency, and public trust, especially in politically sensitive cases.