CEDEAO : « L’IA peut assister le juge, mais ne peut se substituer à lui », le message fort du ministre de la Justice
Can artificial intelligence (AI) enter the courts without ever replacing the judge? This question was at the heart of discussions on Monday, September 21, 2026, in Dakar, at the opening of the ECOWAS Court of Justice International Conference dedicated to "Justice, Innovation, the Protection of Human Rights and the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa".
Presiding over the opening ceremony, the Minister of Justice, Moussa Sarr, clearly defined the limits. While digital transformation can allow for the digitization of procedures, the modernization of work tools, and the development of virtual hearings, it must never override the fundamental principles of justice.
"Artificial intelligence can assist the judge. It cannot replace his office, nor alter his independence, nor reduce his power of judgment," he said.
For the Senegalese minister, judicial innovation is only meaningful if it brings justice closer to the citizen. The ECOWAS Court of Justice has a major distinguishing feature in this regard: individuals can directly petition it for human rights violations. This possibility, according to Mr. Moussa Sarr, is a "major step forward," as it gives the protection of fundamental freedoms a concrete and supranational scope.
But this community justice system must now meet growing expectations in terms of accessibility, efficiency, and speed. "The authority of justice lies not only in the quality of the decision rendered, but also in its effectiveness," the minister insisted.
Beyond technology, what is at stake is citizens' trust in community institutions. For Mr. Sarr, regional integration cannot be limited to the free movement of people, goods, and capital. It also requires "a coherent legal framework, strong institutions, and accessible justice."
Hence his call to strengthen dialogue between national and community jurisdictions, but also to guarantee the effectiveness of the court's decisions. "Let us make our regional space a place where the law brings people closer together and where justice effectively protects rights and freedoms," he declared.
Created within the framework of the revised ECOWAS Treaty and the Protocol relating to the Community Court of Justice, this jurisdiction is called upon to play a central role in the interpretation and application of community law as well as in the protection of human rights.
In Dakar, the challenge is now clear: to bring community justice into the era of artificial intelligence without ever letting technology take precedence over the judge, human rights and the citizen.
Commentaires (5)
Il suffit de fournir le code pénal, le code de procédures pénal, la constitution et l’ensemble des textes de droit sur lesquels les juges s’appuient et l’intelligence artificielle fera un meilleur jugement sans faute il sera beaucoup plus objectif que le juge humain et il n’y aura plus de corruption. A tous les jeunes qui se forment dans des métiers à faible niveau de reflection, des métiers basés sur la théorie sur des textes, bientôt vous serez tous en chômage. Faites l’effort de maitriser les mathématiques, les sciences pour vous former dans les métiers d’avenir comme l’aérospatiale, l’aéronautique, l’énergie, la data science, le machine learning et le coaching de l’intelligence artificielle.
Ce ne sera pas le chomage mais la prison ... ATTENTION. Ceux qui s'occupent des machines n'ont pas la formation des Juges et vice versa.
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