Tanzanian judiciary introduces AI for enhanced efficiency

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In an ambitious and unprecedented move towards modernising its judicial processes, the Tanzanian judiciary has introduced AI into its transcriptions and translations system.

Chief Justice Prof Ibrahim Hamis Juma announced this development during the Law Week commemoration event at Chinangali ground in Dodoma. It aims to enhance court efficiency across the nation significantly.

Moving closer to the 4IR

Chief Justice Juma highlighted the practical challenges of providing sufficient stenographic support for the judiciary’s extensive network. The network comprises:

• 34 judges in the Court of Appeal,

• 105 judges in the High Court, and a

• about 2000 magistrates.

“We can’t hire stenographers for all judges and magistrates, but we can use AI, which we have now adopted for transcription,” he stated.

Enhancing judicial efficiency

The new system promises to alleviate the workload on judges and magistrates. How? By automating the transcription process. “Automatic transcription will reduce the judge’s burden of work, as their job is to listen and make decisions, not to do transcription,” Prof. Juma explained.

Tailored for Tanzanian diversity

The judiciary’s service provider has reportedly meticulously trained the AI system on a diverse dataset. The aim is to ensure the system can handle nuanced languages and dialects. As such, the dataset includes the Kiswahili dialects of various communities across Tanzania, from the inland regions to Pemba Island, and Tanzanian English attribution. In the end, this training aims to facilitate clear and accurate translations across the country’s linguistic landscape.

Collaboration and implementation

The Tanzanian judiciary developed this AI system with the Italian company Almawave, utilising the company’scompany’sary speech recognition technology, PerVoice.

The framework agreement between Almawave and the Tanzania judiciary is set to last four years. The initial contract value is USD 1.1 million, and the total value is expected to reach USD 3 million.

To date, the company has installed eleven sets of the system. The plan is to expand to 50 of Tanzania’s 169 courtrooms.

More broadly, this initiative is part of Tanzania’s commitment to incorporating information and communication technology (ICT) into its judicial processes. The most notable is the e-case management system, which allows lawyers and clients to follow up on their case proceedings directly.

This ambitious integration of AI into the judiciary sets a precedent for technological advancement within the legal sector. It showcases Tanzania’s dedication to improving access to justice for its citizens through digital innovation.

What’s next?

We predict the judiciary will later set guidelines on how AI can be used in court proceedings.