Lawyers in Western Uganda have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve the delivery of legal services, increase access to justice and promote ethical governance.
The call was made during the Uganda Law Society Techfest workshop held at the Law Development Centre in Mbarara City, where lawyers from the Western Region 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 efforts by the Uganda Law Society to promote digital transformation within the legal profession. The Mbarara workshop was held yesterday for lawyers in Western Uganda, while another session is being held today in Gulu, followed by Mbale on September 16.
The national climax of the Techfest 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 Techfest, the Vice President of the Uganda Law Society, Anthony Asiimwe, said technology is no longer optional for the legal profession because it is increasingly becoming central to the delivery of legal services and the administration of justice.
Asiimwe said the Techfest, which was first introduced last year as part of the implementation of the four Ds of the Radical New Bar ideology, is intended to expose lawyers to emerging technologies, automated legal processes and other innovations that can improve the efficiency, accessibility and quality of legal services.
He said the decision to take the Techfest beyond Kampala was aimed at giving lawyers across the country an opportunity to participate in discussions about digital transformation, interact with innovators and experience technologies that are changing the legal profession.
Asiimwe also commended the Judiciary for making progress in the digitalisation of court processes, particularly through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS).
He said ECCMIS has improved the way lawyers interact with courts by making filing and management of court cases more efficient.
He urged lawyers to take an active interest in digital transformation, saying the profession must be prepared to learn, adapt and use new technologies to improve service delivery.
Meanwhile, 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 may not fully understand the country’s local languages, customary land practices and other social realities.
He said there is a need for local legal professionals to participate in developing technology that can respond to the needs of Ugandans and prevent technology from creating new barriers to justice.
Kiire also raised concerns about the ethical challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence in the legal profession.
He said lawyers must consider issues such as inaccurate information generated by AI systems, the quality of data used to train such systems and responsibility when technology produces wrong legal advice or misinterprets legal provisions.
He said these issues require local solutions developed by lawyers, judges, innovators and other stakeholders in Uganda.
The Chief Guest, Resident Judge of the Mbarara High Court Circuit, Justice Kwemara Kafuuzi Gelase, also urged lawyers to embrace technology, saying it is already transforming the way the Judiciary operates.
Justice Kafuuzi said the Judiciary has already adopted several digital systems that enable courts to conduct virtual court sessions, file documents electronically and manage court processes digitally.
He said the use of technology has helped to improve efficiency, reduce delays and make justice more accessible to court users.
Justice Kafuuzi thanked the Uganda Law Society for organising the Techfest, saying such initiatives give members of the legal profession an opportunity to understand new technologies and use them responsibly in their work.
He urged lawyers to embrace innovation while maintaining professional ethics, confidentiality and accountability in the use of artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
