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Generative AI cannot replace judges' reasoning, say Quebec courts
Brief published September 7, 2026 ยท Original source published September 5, 2026
Original reporting by Pierre Saint-Arnaud at cbc.ca.
Automated brief. Verify important details at the original source.
What happened
Quebec courts have issued joint guidelines restricting judges' use of generative AI, stating that judging must remain a fundamentally human responsibility. The guidelines follow earlier concerns that a Quebec judge may have used generative AI when preparing a ruling. Courts also noted that no approved or secure institutional generative AI tool is currently available to judges, meaning any use would involve unvetted external systems.
Why it matters
Courts drawing explicit boundaries around AI use in judicial reasoning sets a precedent for how public institutions with high-stakes decision-making authority may govern the technology. Builders developing legal AI tools now face a clear signal that judicial reasoning itself is off-limits, even as adjacent legal tasks remain unaddressed by these guidelines.
What to watch
Whether other Canadian provinces or federal courts issue similar restrictions, and whether Quebec courts move to develop or certify any institutional AI tools that could support judges in non-reasoning tasks such as research or document review.