Artificial intelligence in the judiciary

Baden-Württemberg has developed the concept of a nationwide uniform artificial intelligence portal for the judiciary. A pilot for AI software is running in civil proceedings at the Hechingen district court.

Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Justice and for Migration Marion Gentges announced on Thursday, September 22, 2022 as part of an appointment at the Hechingen district court, that Baden-Württemberg was responsible for a nationwide uniform AI portal and a common AI strategy. Together with President of the District Court Florian Diekmann, she also presented the "Codefy" assistant program, which is currently being piloted at the Hechingen district court.

Gentges said: "The introduction of the electronic file Digitization wave in Baden-Württemberg already bends the second step and build up the second step in the judiciary. Electronic acts have been a pioneering role nationwide for years.

nationwide uniform AI portal

The Ministry of Justice in Baden-Württemberg has developed the concept of a nationwide uniform artificial intelligence portal (AI portal), which has already been successfully presented at the federal and state governments. It stipulates that the IT systems of all countries and the federal government are connected to the uniform AI portal and a common AI strategy stipulates the operational and legal foundations. The aim is to create a framework for the judiciary nationwide so that opportunities and incentives for AI judicial innovations arise, according to Gentges. Furthermore, she said: "The feedback on our concept of a AI portal is consistently positive. We now want to make ourselves the implementation together. At the same time, we have to go into the development of concrete systems."

In the Baden-Württemberg judiciary, such systems are already successfully developed and tested. The "Codefy" software is one of them and is currently being piloted in civil proceedings at the Hechingen district court. It is designed to enable AI-supported structuring of documents-in particular lawyer writings-and to support them in recording, order and assessment of the dispute.

President of the District Court Diekmann: "The growing number of mass methods and the ever longer briefs have been presenting the courts with great challenges for years. In particular, the continuing wave of civil proceedings in connection with the so -called exhaust gas scandal - in particular, led to an explosion of the dispute, i.e. the judge to deal with the judges." As the former head of the specialist center for information and communication technology at the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court, President of the Diekmann district court knows the value of modern IT systems. "It is therefore of great importance for the judiciary to take advantage of technical progress. We in Hechingen are proud to be once more pioneers in the development of intelligent systems such as 'Codefy'." 

the electronic acts

The judiciary in Baden-Württemberg is a leader nationwide in the introduction of electronic acts. The equipment of the specialist courts with the so-called "EAKTE" has been completed, so that all financial, labor social and administrative courts in the country electronically process their procedures. The same applies to the predominant number of courts of ordinary jurisdiction in the civilian area. Both higher regional courts, all 17 regional courts and 64 district courts are now equipped with the electronic acts. The equipment of the district courts in the area of civil and family courts will be completed in the coming year. 

Due to federal law requirements, all courts and law enforcement authorities will be obliged to do electronic files from 2026.