'Artificial Intelligence' in judicial activities

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated at an event he attended on April 25, 2026, that they are considering establishing an artificial intelligence-supported platform where citizens can prepare lawsuits without the assistance of a lawyer.

Following this announcement, a joint declaration titled “The Right to Defense Cannot Be Delegated to Artificial Intelligence” was published with the participation of 78 bar associations. The declaration expressed the potential risks that the application brought to the agenda by the Minister could entail.

In the statement published by the bar associations, it was summarized that legal processes are not merely a technical data processing activity, but a right-seeking and protection activity shaped according to the characteristics of the concrete case. It was stated that justice is not a mathematical result reached solely by processing data; it is the product of human reasoning that passes through the filter of conscience. Furthermore, in terms of the right to a fair trial and the effective use of the right to defense, issues that could constitute a violation of the legislation in force and fundamental legal principles, primarily the Constitution and the Attorneyship Law, were put forward.

In the aforementioned declaration, what the Ministry of Justice's priority should be was expressed with the following statements:

“Instead of opening the areas of authority of the defense to debate, the priority should be to strengthen the independent defense, implement merit-based reforms that strengthen the qualifications of judges and prosecutors, develop the technical infrastructure that will accelerate trials, and improve physical and legal facilities for all elements of the judiciary.” 

If I had been at the event the Minister attended, I would have asked him questions about a few issues at least as important as helping citizens write petitions. 

I would have asked why it takes an average of two to three years for even cases that are not very complex in terms of their legal nature to be finalized. I would also have asked for his views on the extent to which the result that would emerge if the evidence collected, expert reports, and party statements in political cases closely followed by the public were uploaded to an artificial intelligence application would overlap with the decisions made by the courts.

Artificial intelligence applications are currently being used intensively by those operating in the field of law, especially by lawyers. They provide significant time savings and increase efficiency for professionals in many areas such as case research, examination of petitions, and evaluation of expert reports that require technical knowledge.

The issue, of course, also has an economic dimension.

Bar associations, while representing the defense, are also professional organizations. Whether they work independently or as employees, there are over 200 thousand lawyers in our country as of today. It is extremely natural for professional organizations to react to the possibility of a regulation that could directly affect the economic returns of their professional activities.

There are thousands of lawyers serving in active roles in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, political parties, trade unions, and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, in our current legal system, there is also a requirement to be represented by a lawyer or to employ a lawyer in certain businesses and transactions. We also encounter regulations in this direction in various judicial packages that have come into force in recent years.

In short, as every organized professional group does, lawyers will also react to protect their profession and professional gains.

Law is not just a set of rules consisting of legislative provisions. Law is one of the most challenging and arduous areas of human life, centered on the skills of thinking correctly, reasoning, and problem-solving. It is an activity carried out for the purpose of enabling individuals, society, nature, and all living things to live together fairly and in peace at every stage of life, from birth to death.

All auxiliary technologies, especially artificial intelligence, will contribute to the more effective and efficient practice of the legal profession. However, the one who makes the final evaluation in the application of law will continue to be a human being who possesses a conscientious conviction and a sense of justice.