Colombian Judge Drives Reform in the Justice System with Copilot
A Colombian judge has reported a remarkable improvement in her productivity since integrating an AI assistant known as Copilot into her daily workflow. She now issues up to 20 rulings per week, a significant jump from the mere four rulings she managed prior to using the technology.
The judge relies on Copilot for a variety of tasks, including transcriptions, summarizing hearings, drafting documents, and reviewing grammar and wording. This AI tool also aids in comparing draft rulings and managing essential internal data. “For us, this is magic… These tools have come to facilitate and improve judicial work,” expressed Judge María Victoria Quiñones, highlighting the transformative impact of AI on her responsibilities.
Colombia’s Innovative AI Judiciary Plan
Colombia stands at the forefront of technological integration in Latin America’s judicial systems. In 2024, the country’s constitutional court ruled that judges could utilize AI tools to expedite processes under strict regulations. The judicial governing body then established guidelines requiring that any AI-generated information must be reviewed and verified by judges, along with a mandate to disclose the use of AI. Notably, the regulations prohibit judges from using free AI chatbots and restrict AI usage for “assessing evidence, scrutinizing facts, making value judgments, or solving legal problems,” including the drafting of final rulings.
Alongside this, virtual hearings have surged in popularity. What began as a necessity during the 2020 pandemic has evolved into a staple of Colombia’s judicial practice. In 2024, virtual hearings totaled 1.1 million, representing about 80% of all hearings, with Teams becoming the platform of choice in October.
Johanna Pimiento, leading the digital transformation of Colombia’s judiciary, revealed that the high backlog rates motivate judges to adopt AI solutions. With over 2.5 million cases pending resolution in 2023—half of all cases in the system—the average Colombian judge had over 800 cases to manage. Administrative rulings, on average, take a staggering 10 years to resolve. Pimiento noted that the use of technology has already doubled the total number of hearings in the last 14 years, with almost 1.4 million hearings held in 2024.
While resistance to digitalization exists among some judges, the attraction of AI’s potential benefits is compelling for many others. Pimiento acknowledges challenges such as proper training and data privacy concerns, but most judges see the advantages of AI in easing their workloads.
Boosting Judicial Efficiency
The benefits of this technological integration extend beyond judges; it enhances access to justice for ordinary citizens as well. Virtual hearings eliminate the need for travel, significantly saving time for all parties involved, including lawyers. Roberto Serrato, a prominent lawyer in Colombia, estimates that the combination of virtual hearings and AI has reduced the duration of judicial processes by half, improving transparency and accountability within the legal system.
Judge Quiñones elaborates on the vast potential of Copilot in the judicial context, describing it as capable of performing tasks that were previously impossible. For example, she successfully asked Copilot to compare a draft ruling with all prior rulings on a particular subject, receiving the results in seconds—a task that would have consumed an entire morning without AI assistance. Quiñones effectively utilizes an extensive archive of over 10,000 digitalized legal cases to enhance her work.
Her commitment to embracing technology is rooted in her background. Raised in Bogotá, Quiñones’s experiences as a police officer and lawyer shaped her understanding of the judicial system’s challenges and fueled her desire to leverage technology for improved access to justice.
Wanting to provide better public service, particularly to those with limited resources, she views technology integration as essential for accountability and efficiency within the judiciary. Drawing inspiration from Gabriel García Márquez’s novella, *No One Writes to the Colonel*, Quiñones reflects on the necessity for faster, more reliable justice, which has challenged her since her early readings.
Her pride in being recognized for integrating technology in the judiciary is evident. While many parents struggle with technology, she proudly teaches her children how to use various devices, a testament to her affinity for digital solutions in her professional life. “For me, it’s the opposite—I’m always the one showing them how things work,” she remarks with a smile.
