Responsible Judicial AI Governance for Artificial Intelligence Assisted Legal Research and Judicial Discretion in Uganda

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming legal research, judicial administration and legal decision-support systems across the world. Contemporary AI-assisted legal research platforms are capable of analysing vast quantities of legal information, identifying relevant precedents, mapping citation networks, generating legal summaries and supporting legal reasoning. While these technologies promise significant improvements in efficiency, consistency and access to legal information, they also raise profound constitutional and jurisprudential questions concerning the exercise of judicial discretion, judicial independence and the legitimacy of adjudication. Existing scholarship has largely focused on North American and European jurisdictions, leaving important gaps concerning the implications of AI-assisted legal research within African common-law systems. This article examines the relationship between AI-assisted legal research and judicial discretion within Uganda’s superior courts. Drawing upon Legal Realism, Dworkin’s Interpretive Theory of Law, Separation of Powers Theory and Socio-Technical Systems Theory, the article argues that AI does not replace judicial discretion but increasingly shapes the informational environment within which judicial discretion is exercised. The study develops the concept of Algorithmically Influenced Judicial Discretion to explain how AI systems may indirectly affect legal reasoning through the identification, prioritisation and presentation of legal authorities. It further proposes a Responsible Judicial AI Governance Framework designed to ensure that technological innovation remains consistent with constitutional values, judicial independence, transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Through doctrinal, constitutional and comparative analysis, the article concludes that AI should remain a decision-support technology rather than a decision-making authority. The study contributes to emerging scholarship on artificial intelligence and adjudication by providing an African constitutional perspective and proposing a governance model capable of guiding responsible judicial AI adoption within Uganda and comparable common-law jurisdictions.