African Judiciaries Push for Digital Sovereignty
Judges at the 15th Africa Internet Governance Forum in Accra, Ghana called for African guidelines on the use of AI in courts.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
African judges gathered at the inaugural African Judicial Dialogue on Internet Governance during the 15th annual Africa Internet Governance Forum in Accra, Ghana, which concluded Thursday after four days. Egyptian Court of Cassation vice-president Adel Maged introduced the concept of judicial digital sovereignty, and the dialogue unanimously agreed to develop African guidelines on AI use in courts.
Why it matters
The push reflects growing judicial involvement in governing artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital evidence and data protection across the continent. It signals an effort to set rules that respond to Africa's own legal traditions rather than relying solely on external frameworks.
The 15th annual Africa Internet Governance Forum ran four days in Accra and concluded Thursday, with the judicial dialogue reaching unanimous agreement on drafting AI-in-courts guidelines. The specific technical parameters, governance mechanisms and implementation standards of those guidelines remain undefined.
The players
Adel Maged
Adel Maged is vice-president of the Egyptian Court of Cassation, who presented the judiciary's position and introduced the concept of judicial digital sovereignty at the closing session.
The details
Discussions at the inaugural African Judicial Dialogue on Internet Governance covered artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital evidence, data protection, platform governance and digital rights. Legislators joined the final session, and Maged proposed guidelines drawing on international experience while responding to Africa's legal traditions, judicial needs and institutional capacities.
Timeline
Thursday: the 15th Africa Internet Governance Forum concluded in Accra, Ghana, following a four-day event.
Thursday: the African Judicial Dialogue reached unanimous agreement on developing AI-in-courts guidelines during the closing session.
The Tech Race
The judicial dialogue extends the multistakeholder agenda of the Africa Internet Governance Forum by adding judges as a distinct voice in internet governance. It positions African courts to shape AI rules on their own terms rather than adopting frameworks developed elsewhere.
If adopted, African court guidelines on AI could shape how judges handle AI-generated evidence and automated tools used in legal proceedings. For court users and litigants across the continent, the rules would determine how digital evidence and data protections are treated in practice.
The takeaway
Judicial bodies are increasingly positioning themselves as active rule-setters for artificial intelligence rather than passive users of it. For readers following AI governance, the African initiative is a signal that legal traditions and institutional needs may shape standards in ways distinct from Western frameworks.
Further reading
For broader context on how courts and regulators are approaching the technology, see Artificial Intelligence coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ITWeb Africa.
