Responsible Governance of AI in Nigerian Legal Practice and Education
Kata Kunci:
Artificial Intelligence, Legal Practice, Legal Education, Professional Responsibility, Data Protection, NigeriaAbstrak
AI is transforming the practice and teaching of law in Nigeria with general-purpose tools and niche research platforms. The critical question is therefore not whether these tools will be used, but how their benefits will be used without undermining professional judgement, confidentiality, integrity of sources, fair hearing and legal reasoning. This article argues that there is already regulation of significant aspects of AI in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Evidence Act 2011 and the General Application and Implementation Directive 2025. The problem is that these obligations need to be translated into effective guidelines for the practice of law, judiciary and law teaching. The article explores the advantages AI can offer in research, drafting, document review, and education, and the potential pitfalls of dealing with false authorities, confidentiality concerns, lack of Nigerian legal data, inequality, and dependency on AI for education. It calls for a 3-level model of assurance, related to the severity of each use. Ordinary review of the model for routine support, verified sources and human responsibility for substantive work need to be included, and the safeguards need to be enhanced, to accommodate uses that can impact rights.
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