From Filing to Findings: The Constitutional Legality of AI-Assisted Adjudication in Pakistan’s Superior Judiciary
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32350/lpr.52.01Keywords:
Article 10-A, AI-Assisted Adjudication, AI and Judiciary, Algorithmic Transparency, Digital Public Infrastructure, Judicial Backlog, LegalTech PakistanAbstract
By the end of 2025, Pakistan's backlog of judicial cases had reached a staggering 2.2 million. This results from the Tech for Justice Symposium of May 2025 and the Supreme Court's National Judicial Automation Policy, which have contributed to the rapid adoption of the first form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Pakistan's superior courts. The use of AI for legal research, case indexing, and draft summaries has the potential to streamline court processes, but it will likely diminish the value of human accountability in the court process. This study focuses on the judicial review of the use of AI in knowing the law (adjudication) under Articles 10-A and 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan. It adopts a doctrinal approach and cites the most recent Supreme Court decisions, particularly the 2025 Supreme Court Order, which states that AI, by law, should be a complement to human intelligence, not a substitute. The study reveals potential challenges to judicial reasoning arising from reliance on confined LLMs (Large Language Models) and the Locality law of AI and the judicial reasoning gap that may be caused by the reliance on the use of closed LLMs (Large Language Models) and the local AI. Furthermore, it assesses the intersection of judicial automation with the Digital Nation Pakistan Act thereby exploring the gaps in data sovereignty as well as procedural transparency. It concludes by proposing a framework which makes sure that the deployment of AI in the judicial system of Pakistan is transparent, equitable and fair.
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