The 3rd Global Forum on Enforcement took place on December 2, 2024, at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. The event had for topic “Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights and Enforcement of Court Decisions in Civil and Commercial Matters: What Guarantees for Litigants?”. It brought together artificial intelligence experts, legal professionals, and representatives of international organizations to discuss the challenges, issues, and opportunities related to the integration of AI into justice systems.
This Forum marked the third edition, following those held in 2014 and 2019, and also celebrated the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the 2009 Council of Europe Guidelines on Enforcement, which continue to serve as an essential reference for the enforcement of court decisions.
The day began with an opening ceremony, featuring speeches by Clare Ovey, Director of Human Rights at the Council of Europe, and Francesco Depasquale, President of the CEPEJ. These were followed by a welcome message from Marc Schmitz, President of the International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ), and an introduction to the Forum’s theme by Patrick Gielen, Secretary of the UIHJ.
The first part of the Forum focused on AI in the Justice Sector, particularly in civil and commercial proceedings. Marek Świerczyński, Professor of Law in Poland and Member of the CEPEJ Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (AIAB), presented recent advances in AI in this field. This was followed by a roundtable moderated by Marek Świerczyński, with contributions from Jeannette Verspui, Head of the Strategy Department at the Council of Justice in the Netherlands and Member of the CEPEJ-GT-CYBERJUST, Jacques Bühler, Deputy Secretary General of the Swiss Federal Court and Member of the CEPEJ European Cyberjustice Network, and Georg Stawa, Federal Ministry of Justice Austria, Counsellor for the Western Balkans and former President of the CEPEJ.
After a coffee break, discussions centered on Human Rights, Ethics, and Regulation in the Use of AI. Kristian Bartholin, Head of the Digital Development Unit at the Council of Europe, and Laura Jugel, from the European AI Office at the European Commission, presented the implications of new regulations, including the Council of Europe’s Convention and the EU AI Act. A roundtable moderated by Maria-Giuliana Civinini, President of the CEPEJ-GT-CYBERJUST, featured contributions from Matthieu Quiniou, Lecturer at the University of Paris 8 and Lawyer at the Paris Bar; Stefanie Otte, President of the Celle Higher Regional Court in Germany; and Marc Schmitz, President of the UIHJ. The discussions examined ways to ensure human rights are upheld in an increasingly automated legal environment.
The second part of the day was dedicated to AI in Enforcement Procedures. Guillaume Payan, Professor at the University of Toulon and Member of the UIHJ Scientific Council, presented practical applications of AI in enforcement processes. This was followed by a roundtable, also moderated by Guillaume Payan, with contributions from Sylvian Dorol, Commissioner of Justice in France and UIHJ expert, Dovilė Satkauskienė, Director of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of Lithuania, Carlos Calvo, Deputy Treasurer of the UIHJ; and Patrick Gielen, Secretary of the UIHJ.
In the late afternoon, a final roundtable explored the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into judicial and enforcement procedures, featuring interventions from Ana Arabuli, representative of Georgia’s National Bureau of Enforcement, Paulo Duarte Pinto, representative of OSAE in Portugal, and Pierre Iglesias, Member of the CNCJ in France. Moderated by Pauline Varo, co-founder of PREPA Cdj & FORMATION Cdj, this session addressed the critical question: Should AI be banned or regulated in the judicial field?
The day concluded with remarks by Natalie Fricero, University Professor in France and Member of the UIHJ Scientific Council, who, while concluding the conference, emphasized the need to balance technological innovation with the protection of litigants’ rights.