Minister: Using AI can help improve efficiency in handling court cases
KUCHING: The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in court would not only reduce the amount of resources required, but it would also help improve the efficiency in handling cases.
In pointing this out, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said this was applicable with ‘everything being digitalised in the modern world’.
“There are times when the plaintiff is unable to go to court due to certain reasons, and sometimes, we are unable to accommodate resources to the parties involved due to the limitation in manpower.
“With AI, especially those (set up) in the state prisons, we could reduce the amount of resources put in; for example, prisoners (needing) escorts going in and out.
“It’s easier for us to ensure the safety of the public when a hearing occurs.
“We can use AI to facilitate the process and speed up the procedures of handling cases,” he said during a press conference after conducting a working visit to the Kuching Court Complex yesterday.
Adding on, Wan Junaidi said with AI being able to capture historical data in real time, getting information or storing documents would ‘merely take a click of a button’.
Moreover, he said the analysis made by AI and the data-driven feature called ‘data sentencing’ could help guide judges and officers in the sentencing process.
However, he also acknowledged that it would still be up to the judge to mediate the sentencing and undertake the reports on the cases.
“The judge may use the analysis provided by the AI as a guideline in performing duties, but sometimes, there are stories that the AI or computers cannot process,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi said he was encouraged by the rapid development of information and communications technology (ICT) usage, as well as the stageby-stage implementation of AI in the courts of Sarawak and Sabah.
He acknowledged that in Peninsular Malaysia, the utilisation of AI technology in court had commenced.
The usage of AI in court was first mentioned by former Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum during the opening of Legal Year for Sabah and Sarawak 2019, where he listed down the potential digital applications to improve the efficiency of the courts in the two states.