Article by Priscilla Pisani, representing the EEEI in the CEPEJ Working Group on Cyberjustice and Artificial Intelligence since 2024.
Strasbourg, 26–27 March 2026 — First meeting of the 2026–2027 biennium
A new strategic cycle
The Working Group on Cyberjustice and Artificial Intelligence (WG-CYBERJUST) of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) opened its 2026–2027 biennium with a two-day session in Strasbourg, marking the start of an ambitious new mandate at the crossroads of digital transformation and the rule of law. The EEEI participates in the group’s work as an observer.
A meeting under high institutional patronage
The proceedings were personally opened by Francesco Depasquale, President of the CEPEJ, who attended the meeting in its entirety. In his opening remarks, President Depasquale underlined the strategic importance of the Group’s work for the future of the CEPEJ, noting that virtually all requests currently received from member States revolve around the use of artificial intelligence in the judicial sphere. He also stressed the need for stronger communication and wider dissemination of the documents produced by the Group, so that their impact may extend well beyond the institutional circle.
A renewed leadership
The Group welcomed its new Chair, Jeannette Verspui, senior Dutch judge, who succeeds Maria Giuliana Civinini after three distinguished terms. President Depasquale and the entire Group expressed their warmest thanks to Ms. Civinini for the outstanding quality of her leadership. She will continue to support the Group’s work as a CEPEJ-appointed expert — an assurance of continuity at a particularly demanding juncture.
An ambitious mandate for 2026–2027
In line with the CEPEJ Malta Plan and the conclusions of the December plenary session, the new mandate is structured around three strategic pillars.
The first pillar concerns the monitoring of emerging AI systems affecting the functioning of justice. The Resource Centre on Cyberjustice and Artificial Intelligence is proposed to be transformed into a fully-fledged Observatory on AI in Justice, designed to support the effective implementation of the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law in the judicial field. The Group will further optimise the use of the Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (AIAB) within the new Observatory and continue to strengthen the European Cyberjustice Network (ECN).
The second pillar focuses on providing concrete guidance on issues that lie at the very heart of contemporary judicial transformation: the potential — and the limits — of the automation of justice, with or without AI; the preservation of judicial independence in the digital age through data sovereignty and the use of open source software; and the legal and practical consequences of AI-generated deepfakes in the area of electronic evidence.
The third pillar is devoted to capacity-building among justice professionals, through the development of an ICT training programme for judges and the ongoing updating of the CEPEJ Technology Glossary.
A significant recognition for the EEEI
Particularly noteworthy was the Group’s favourable reception of the proposal — put forward by the EEEI representative — to contribute to the updating of the CEPEJ Guidelines on the role of court-appointed experts, a workstream led by the QUAL Group, with a sharpened focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. This recognition further consolidates the EEEI’s role as a key institutional partner in shaping the European framework for judicial expertise in the digital age.
Working method and next steps
For each planned activity, the Group identified a lead contact and the members who will contribute directly to its implementation. Each topic was introduced through a dedicated presentation, followed by a structured discussion aimed at agreeing on the most effective way forward.
The Group’s roadmap covers a broad spectrum of strategic issues, including process automation in the justice system, the safeguarding of judicial independence through data sovereignty, the implications of AI-generated deepfakes for electronic evidence, the development of an ICT training curriculum for judges (to be presented at the June 2026 CEPEJ Plenary), the launch of the Observatory on AI in Justice, the second AIAB report on the use of AI in the judiciary, the continuation of the Tech Glossary, and active liaison with the AIAB, the ECN and the CDNET (former CAI). The Group will also contribute to ongoing reflections on language interpretation in justice and participate in the Work-Life Balance Working Group and in the World Bank Digital Justice Working Group.
Upcoming milestones
- CEPEJ Plenary, Šibenik, 18–19 June 2026
- WG-CYBERJUST, Strasbourg, 22–23 October 2026
- 6th Annual Meeting of the European Cyberjustice Network, Strasbourg, 2 December 2026 — the first ECN meeting to be attended by all Group members.
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