Further to the first meeting of 28-30 April 2026 (Porto), the CCJE Working Group met a second time in Brussels on 24-26 June 2026 to finalise the draft of Opinion No. 29(2026) on the use of AI in the judicial process, with the assistance of the CCJE expert, Dr John Sorabji (United Kingdom). The Working Group carried out its work having regard in particular to the responses of CCJE members to the questionnaire developed for this purpose as well as relevant standards and guidance from other bodies from the Council of Europe and beyond.

The Working Group continued exploring the benefits of the use of AI tools for the efficiency of justice whilst also focusing on the necessary safeguards to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and its decision-making process in line with the principles of the rule of law. The Working Group also examined how training on the use of AI by judges plays a critical role.

This draft Opinion on the use of AI in the context of the judicial process resulting from this meeting will be examined and adopted by the CCJE during its plenary meeting of 23-25 November 2026 in Strasbourg.