Estado de México judiciary addresses judge shortage and AI regulations

The Judiciary of the State of Mexico (PJEM) is addressing critical shortages and the integration of technology. Ricardo Sodi Cuellar, former president of the state's Superior Court of Justice, noted that the region currently operates with 455 judges, but requires at least double that number to meet citizen demand. He highlighted that Mexico averages 4.6 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, significantly below the international standard of 18 per 100,000.

Héctor Macedo García, head of the PJEM, announced that the institution will implement internal safeguards and sanctions to prevent judges and magistrates from issuing rulings based on Artificial Intelligence. Macedo García characterized the use of AI to dictate sentences as an “ethical fraud,” asserting that while technology can assist in reading precedents and gathering information, it cannot substitute human judicial reasoning.

To manage this, the PJEM is developing its own regulated AI system designed to serve as a consultation and facilitation tool. A pilot program is scheduled to begin in December within labor law jurisdictions to monitor its effectiveness before expanding to other legal matters.