International Day for Judicial Well-being: A Global Call for Action
The success of the due administration of justice relies on the ability of key stakeholders within the justice system to perform at optimal levels. Unlike in the past, judges today face mounting challenges due to rapid advancements in technology, the pervasive influence of social media and the rise of artificial intelligence. In addition to these, judiciaries worldwide continue to grapple with numerous socio-economic, political, religious and context-specific challenges such as natural disasters, conflict situations and financial constraints. Despite these difficulties, judges must maintain their independence, impartiality, integrity and composure in the public eye. However, the toll this takes on them is rarely discussed in many parts of the world.
Navigating a million obstacles: A woman magistrate's commitment to integrity and disability inclusion in the judiciary
People with disabilities often face significant barriers in society, and the judiciary is no exception. From navigating physical spaces that lack accessible infrastructure to confronting biases about their capabilities, individuals with disabilities encounter many challenges.
Inclusivity is deeply intertwined with judicial integrity, as a transparent and ethical judiciary must reflect the diversity of the society it serves. When the judiciary is inclusive, it affirms the principle that all individuals - regardless of physical abilities - are entitled to equal opportunities and fair treatment within the legal system.
Should 11 January be designated as International Day of Judicial Independence?
On 27 March 2023, the International Association of Judges (IAJ) has proposed that the United Nations proclaim 11 January as "International Day of Judicial Independence - 1000 Robes March" to mark the brave and peaceful call of judges for an independent judiciary which all citizens of the world are entitled to. Through that initiative the IAJ underlined that, since 2015, the rule of law in Poland, like in recent years in many parts of the world, has been progressively undermined by other State powers. Successive governments have, under the guise of "reforms", introduced a number of amendments concerning the Polish judicial system in order to exert control over it in a way that facilitate the implementation of its policy agenda.
Regional Judicial Integrity Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean
From 6 to 8 August 2024, the Regional Judicial Integrity Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Brasilia, Brazil, bringing together judiciaries of the region to explore strategies to strengthen judicial integrity across the region and share good practices and experiences.
The event was organized by UNODC under the umbrella of the Global Judicial Integrity Network, the National High Court of Brazil (STJ) and the Superior Labour Court of Brazil (TST). The meeting also supported the implementation of roadmaps adopted by three Regional Anti-Corruption Platforms for South America and Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, which identify strengthening judicial integrity as one of the priority areas for the region.
Judge Dread: AI and Judicial Integrity
As the wheel of technological innovation spins ever faster, how will the judiciary be affected?
In critical applications of AI, the biggest questions are in how they are made, trained, tested, and used. AI is a field that combines mathematics, statistics, and computer science - often to do incredible things, but by math rather than magic. This is important, because it means that AI doesn't have human motivation: to lie, to obfuscate, to deliberately confuse. However, this also means that AI has no actual level of understanding - of what we hold dear any less than what we discard. AI does not understand the concepts of justice, fairness, or rule of law. It is, however, very good at sounding like it does. This distinction is crucial: applications such as large language models work on vast datasets, applying a probable next word or string of words in completing a sentence. This can result in cases like Avianca, wherein a lawyer asking a large language model (LLM) for relevant cases was given cases which did not exist. While this was something the lawyer could have checked, it brings to mind greater questions of what the use of AI means for the justice system.