The platform’s debut phase, dubbed the Judicial Assistant, will aid prosecutors and criminal court judges with reviewing case files, identifying relevant legislation and precedents, and generating draft decisions, according to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Counsellor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the ADJD, chaired the joint steering committee with the Department of Government Enablement that prepared the rollout plan. Al Abri stated that the project reflects the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to harness future technologies in improving government services. He added that the initiative follows directives from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the ADJD, to elevate the judicial system to international standards.
Implementation of the full platform is set to span 18 months, beginning with criminal workflows before expanding to civil and other areas, a department announcement outlined. Judges will retain sole responsibility for final rulings, using the AI outputs as supportive tools rather than binding recommendations. The system is designed to accelerate routine tasks such as document analysis and legal research, thereby reducing backlogs in high-volume case categories. Future enhancements will include real-time translation during hearings, automated record generation and tools to identify forged documents, according to the project’s steering committee.
This launch builds upon the ADJD’s established digital infrastructure, which processed 447,603 electronic requests in the first half of 2026. Digital attestations reached 1,365,499 in the same period, the department’s half-year performance indicators reported. The ADJD also conducted 317,266 remote hearings during that period, a 6.25 percent increase from the previous comparable timeframe.
Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms resolved 5,690 cases through mediation and conciliation in the first six months of the year, reflecting a 15 percent rise, according to the ADJD report. Family stability efforts encompassed 6,126 dedicated sessions, 314 online legal consultations and the execution of 13,622 child visitation orders. These outcomes demonstrate the department’s prior success in expanding remote and smart services ahead of deeper AI integration.
The platform forms part of the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, a framework that has promoted AI adoption in the justice sector since 2017, a legal analysis by Herbert Smith Freehills noted. Al Abri highlighted that the integrated suite of smart solutions will modernise operations, support faster case completion and raise the accuracy of judicial processes. By applying artificial intelligence across litigation stages, the ADJD expects measurable gains in procedural efficiency while preserving the integrity of human decision-making.
Development of the system involved close coordination between judicial officials and government enablement specialists to align capabilities with existing court infrastructure. The ADJD has emphasised that AI will function strictly as an assistant, with all outputs subject to thorough validation by qualified personnel. Officials anticipate that the phased approach will allow for iterative improvements based on initial performance data from criminal courts before broader deployment.
