The Philippine Supreme Court Embraces AI — On Its Own Terms
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has taken a significant step in shaping how technology will be used within the country's judicial system. In a Resolution dated February 18, 2026, the Court En Banc approved the Governance Framework on the Use of Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence in the Judiciary — a comprehensive set of rules governing the responsible use of artificial intelligence across all levels of Philippine courts.
What the Framework Does
The Framework, developed under the leadership of Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, establishes three governing ethical principles for AI use in the Judiciary: fairness, accountability, and transparency. It draws from international standards including the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices Governance Framework and UNESCO Guidelines for AI in Courts and Tribunals.
Critically, the Court's choice of language is deliberate. Rather than "artificial intelligence," the Framework uses the term human-centered augmented intelligence — an intentional signal that technology must support, not replace, human judgment. The Framework is unequivocal: no AI tool or its output may serve as the sole basis for any adjudicatory decision. Judges remain fully responsible for independent legal reasoning and final judgments.
What It Means in Practice
The Framework applies broadly — to justices, judges, court officials and employees at all levels, and even to third-party vendors involved in designing or deploying AI tools for the Judiciary. Key operational rules include:
No AI tool may be used without authorization from the Supreme Court En Banc
Disclosure of AI use is mandatory — users must identify the tool, its version, and the extent of AI involvement in any court-issued document
Covered uses include legal research, document summarization, transcription, translation, copy-editing, and optical character recognition
A permanent Committee on Human-Centered Augmented Intelligence will be established to serve as the Court's advisory body on AI governance
The Framework also breaks new ground by incorporating environmental responsibility — encouraging AI tools that reduce ecological harm and use resources efficiently.
Why This Matters to RVTLC's Clients
For businesses and individuals engaged in litigation or regulatory proceedings before Philippine courts, this Framework signals a future where AI-assisted court processes will be more structured, more transparent, and — critically — more accountable. Parties will be entitled to know when AI tools were used in the preparation of court documents, and human judges will remain the final decision-makers.
For transactional clients and compliance-focused enterprises, the Framework is also a useful benchmark: the same principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency that the Court is now applying to its own AI use are principles that RVTLC recommends every organization adopt in its internal governance of AI-powered workflows.
The Philippine Judiciary's leadership on this issue places it among the more progressive judicial systems in the region. We look forward to seeing the Framework's implementation unfold — and to advising our clients on how these developments affect their cases and compliance obligations.
Read the full Supreme Court press release here: SC Adopts Framework for Judiciary's Use of Artificial Intelligence — Supreme Court of the Philippines
The full Framework document is available for download directly from the Supreme Court: Download A.M. No. 25-11-28-SC (PDF)
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