Introduction
Let me heartily welcome all of us to the Lagos State Judiciary 2025/2026 Legal Year Summit. It is an honour to preside over today’s program and for this, I want to specially thank my noble Lords, Hon. Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, Hon. Justice Ibironke Harrison, and other distinguished members of the Legal Year Committee. The topic of today’s conversation is both urgent and profound.
My role this morning is not to pre-empt the rich insights that will soon unfold from the presentations of our distinguished Keynote Speaker, Mr. Olumide Babalola, and the contributions of our eminent panel, led by the indomitable Olawale Akani, SAN, and comprising my Law Lord, Hon. Justice Eniola Fabamwo, my erudite brother Silk, Babatunde Ajibade, SAN; and a guru of ADR, Olusola Adegbonmire. Rather, l will attempt to share a few opening reflections that, I hope, will throw up the realities of the moment, and deepen our collective inquiry of how we should deal with them.
In a time when technology is evolving faster than legal systems can adapt, and when cybersecurity threats have shifted from being peripheral risks to existential challenges, we are compelled to confront something uncomfortable…Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Justice Sector.
By “Artificial Intelligence.” I refer to technologies powered by machine learning-tools such as ChatGPT, natural language processors, predictive engines, or computer vision — that enable machines to perform tasks which previously required human effort, such as generating written content, analyzing data, or recognizing complex patterns in large volumes of information.
Globally, Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a transformative force in legal systems. In Nigeria, however, judicial engagement with AI is marked by hesitation, even palpable fear. The question before us, then, is not only how ready our institutions are, but how ready we are individually – as lawyers, judicial officers, regulators, and educators.
