UAE's New AI-powered Judicial Platform

The UAE has positioned itself as a global leader in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), recognising its transformative potential across both the public and private sectors. As early as 2017, the UAE launched its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, establishing a comprehensive framework to drive digital innovation and accelerate the country's AI ambitions. The integration of AI into the justice sector has been a key component of this vision.

On 28 July 2026, the UAE launched the world's first fully integrated AI-powered judicial platform, marking a significant milestone for the UAE's justice system.

The new platform integrates AI across multiple stages of judicial proceedings and is designed to operate as an advanced legal assistant performing a variety of tasks, including analysing case files and documents, reviewing legislation and regulations, retrieving relevant judicial precedents, supporting judges in the drafting of memoranda and judicial documents, and generating recommendations and analytical reports to judges.

Importantly, the UAE has stressed that the platform is not intended to replace judges, who will continue to exercise independent judgment and discretion when adjudicating cases. Rather, it is designed to improve judicial decision-making by providing enhanced research, analytical, and administrative support.

The new platform is expected to have a significant impact on the efficiency of the judicial process, reducing case processing times and shortening litigation timelines. As AI develops, the UAE is expected to continue enhancing the platform's capabilities while addressing key AI-related challenges, including data privacy, transparency, and the mitigation of bias to ensure fairness, accountability, and public trust in the justice system.

The launch of the platform comes at a time when AI is being increasingly integrated into judicial systems around the world, although many initiatives remain at the pilot or early implementation stage:

• China: China has been deploying AI within its justice system for nearly two decades, including AI-assisted sentencing tools and its broader "Smart Courts" programme. Chinese courts have rolled out various AI tools (e.g., the 206 System in criminal proceedings to analyse facts, standardise evidence checks, and propose sentencing ranges). In 2022, the Supreme People’s Court declared that by 2030, AI will be fully embedded in the judicial process.
• England & Wales: The UK Government is piloting AI technologies, including AI legal assistants, within the Crown Court system to improve efficiency and help address persistent court backlogs.
• Singapore: While AI is not used for judicial decision-making or outcome prediction, the Singapore Courts have adopted AI for case management and court administration. In the Small Claims Tribunals, a generative AI tool has been introduced to translate party-filed documents from Chinese, Malay and Tamil into English.
• France: France has been gradually exploring the use of AI within its criminal justice system, particularly through initiatives led by the Cour de Cassation. However, at present, deployment remains relatively limited and experimental.

The UAE's launch of the platform represents a significant step in the digital transformation of justice. While judicial decision-making will remain firmly in the hands of judges, the platform has the potential to enhance efficiency and improve access to justice. As jurisdictions worldwide continue to explore the use of AI in their courts, the UAE's approach may serve as an important model for the future integration of AI into judicial systems.