PETALING JAYA: The rapid use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the legal system could never replace humans in judicial decision-making, says the Chief Justice.
Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said while AI was increasingly being used in case management, legal research and administrative efficiency, the essence of judicial reasoning remains a human responsibility, particularly in weighing credibility, equity and constitutional values.
"Some fear that AI will replace judicial reasoning. I believe the opposite is true, AI will make human judicial wisdom more essential, not less," he said in his keynote address at the Selangor Bar Law Conference 2025 here on Friday (Oct 3).
In line with the conference theme of "Res Nova", which means "a new thing" in Latin, Wan Ahmad Farid said AI was one of the most pressing res nova challenges in the legal world.
"From automated decision-making to the use of AI in legal practice itself, we are asked to consider questions of accountability, fairness, and even personhood... matters never foreseen by our predecessors," he added.
The top judge said the question was no longer on how the use of AI would change legal practice but how to ensure the technological tools serve justice rather than substituting it.
"In times of rapid legal change, constitutional values provide our navigation system.
"The fundamental liberties enshrined in Part II of our Federal Constitution, the separation of powers established in our governmental structure, and the rule of law that underlies our entire legal system remain constant even as specific legal applications evolve," Wan Ahmad Farid said.
He said res nova should remind the legal fraternity that law was not a static monument to past wisdom, but a living system that must evolve to serve each generation's needs while maintaining continuity with enduring principles of justice.
At the event, Wan Ahmad Farid also launched a book titled "Law and Practice of Family Law in Malaysia, 2nd Edition".
Federal Court judge Datuk Lee Swee Seng and Court of Appeal judge Datin Paduka Evrol Mariette Peters, who were both family court judges, were credited as the general editors of the book.
Court of Appeal president Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi also attended the event.
