Noesis sponsored the 8th edition of the "Diálogos Magistrados/Advogados" conference, held on June 28, 2024, at the Centro de Congressos do Estoril, which brought together leading legal and technological figures to discuss solutions to court congestion and the possibility of putting AI at the service of decongesting the courts.
Topics such as artificial intelligence in justice, mediation and court specialization were widely debated. International examples enriched the discussions, promoting an exchange of ideas on the reform of the Portuguese judicial system.
The event's central theme was "Congestion in Justice: What solutions? Litigation and its impact on economic activity". To delve deeper into this issue and debate it, four discussion panels were held:
1st panel: Diagnosis - Statistics on court congestion
Moderated by João Maria Pimentel, Lawyer.
Speakers: Gonçalo Matias, President of the Manuel dos Santos Foundation and Artur Cordeiro, Presiding Judge of the Lisbon District Court.
This debate showed some data revealing the leading causes of congestion, such as the growing number of cases and the delay in resolving them. The discussion focused on the urgent need for effective measures to reduce the backlog of cases.
2nd panel: Specialized Courts: cause and solution to congestion?
Moderated by Mafalda Santos, Lawyer.
Interviewees: Denis Mcdonald, Presiding Judge of the Dublin Commercial Court and Ciaran O'Conluain, Lawyer.
Speakers: Fernando Lavado Tainhas, Judge of the Lisbon Commercial Court, Claúdia Loureiro, Judge of the Lisbon Central Civil Courts and Nuno Lousa, Lawyer.
The debate focused on the applicability of these congestion practices in the courts in Portugal, highlighting the benefits and challenges.
3rd panel: Process & Artificial Intelligence - Is decongestion possible?
Moderator: Luís Xavier, President of the Abreu Advogados Knowledge Institute, UCP Lecturer.
Speakers: João Ferreira, Judge of the Lisbon Court of Appeal, Carlos Pinho, Public Prosecutor - Information Systems Coordination Office of the Attorney General's Office, João Martins, Senior Manager at Noesis and Hervé Gaio Silva, AI & Data Lead Partner at Deloitte.
The discussion focused on how AI can optimize processes, increase efficiency, and reduce the courts' workload. Adopting advanced technologies was a promising way to modernize the judicial system. In addition, we also talked about the path until legal becomes analytically mature. Roadmap and map of responsabilities for AI to become something commonplace in this environment. They also highlighted some barriers that may exist with the integration of AI
4th panel: Mediation - a solution to unexplored congestion?
Moderated by Mariana David, Lawyer and Mediator.
Speakers: Ana Cardoso, Judge of the Coimbra Court of Appeal, Marcelo Perlman, Lawyer and Cátia Cebola, President of the Lusophone Mediators Certification Institute.
The speakers highlighted how mediation can ease the burden on the courts by offering quick and less costly solutions to disputes. Promoting mediation was seen as a necessary step towards a more agile and accessible justice system.
Here are some moments from the event:
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