The International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ), represented by its Secretary-General Patrick Gielen, took part on 3 October 2025 in the conference organised by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) at the European Parliament in Brussels on the theme: “Digitalisation of justice systems and its implications for the legal profession.”
The day opened with introductory remarks by Javier Zarzalejos, Chair of the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament, followed by a keynote speech from Thierry Wickers, President of the CCBE, who set out the European context of justice digitalisation.
The first panel focused on the concrete meaning of digitalisation for justice systems and legal professionals, with contributions from Vittorio Di Bucci (Registrar of the General Court of the EU), Dominic Gerstberger (Chair of the CCBE IT Law Committee), Dirk Staudenmayer (European Commission, DG Justice) and Imbi Jürgen (Third Vice-President of the CCBE).
A video message by Margaret Satterthwaite, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, presented her upcoming report dedicated to the promises and risks of artificial intelligence for justice systems.
The second panel, moderated by Alex Tallon, Vice-President of the CCBE, examined the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on legal practice. Discussions highlighted the opportunities offered by these technologies as well as the ethical limits and questions of responsibility they raise.
After the lunch break, the third session addressed the protection of fundamental rights within the digital transformation of justice. Jana Gajdosova (EU Agency for Fundamental Rights), Daniel Schmidt (CEPEJ, Council of Europe), Roman Završek (First Vice-President of the CCBE) and George M.R. Zlati (lawyer specialised in cybercrime and blockchain) stressed the importance of safeguarding rights and ensuring robust practices in handling electronic evidence in cross-border cases.
The conference concluded with closing remarks by Thierry Wickers.
The participation of the UIHJ in this event underlined the importance for judicial officers to closely follow the ongoing digital transformation of justice systems, in order to anticipate technological and regulatory changes that will directly affect their daily practice and their essential role in upholding the rule of law.
