Justice Paul Baffoe Bonnie has suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to help empanel judges for cases, particularly to reduce public suspicions about transparency in the judiciary.
Speaking during his vetting on Monday, Justice Bonnie said the technology could be programmed with information about judges and their philosophies to create fair panels.
“I think to get rid of such suspicions, we should be able to consider AI to do that… if you can feed the computer or AI with information about judges, their philosophies and everything, the AI should be able to do a panelling based upon that,” he stated.
Justice Bonnie acknowledged that while AI could assist, it may not replace human flexibility in certain circumstances.
He noted that judges sometimes opt out of cases for personal reasons, such as family emergencies, which an AI system may not account for.
“In a part of the world where a person can decide not to sit just about two or three hours to time because the wife is being taken to the hospital or the father has just died, it means AI will find it difficult to replace such a person,” he said.
The Supreme Court currently organises panels based on seniority, with judges classified as senior, middle, or junior.
Justice Bonnie explained that this system, used during high-profile cases such as the 2013 election petition, is not a measure of ability but simply reflects length of service on the bench.
He highlighted that even though he is the most senior, it does not necessarily make him the best, but ensures a balance when sitting on panels of five judges.
His comments come amid broader discussions about leveraging technology to improve transparency and efficiency in Ghana’s judicial system, particularly in politically sensitive cases.
The suggestion to integrate AI reflects a growing interest globally in using technology to enhance fairness and reduce public suspicion of judicial decision-making.
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