Algorithmic Governance and Judicial Legitimacy in a Peruvian Court

Fernández Pacheco Y.; Vera Poma R.G.; Ronceros Morales C. · Revista Venezolana de Gerencia (2026) · DOI: 10.52080/rvgluz.31.115.13

Resumen

The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools into the judicial system has intensified the debate over their compatibility with the structural guarantees of due process. While the international literature has focused on issues of accuracy, bias, and explainability in contexts within the Global North, there remains limited empirical evidence on how legal professionals perceive the use of AI in the Peruvian judicial system. This study sought to describe legal professionals’ perceptions of the use of AI in proceedings within the Peruvian justice system. The methodology consisted of an exploratory qualitative study conducted in the Judicial District of Ica (Peru), based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with legal practitioners in the judicial system who have active experience in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings, supplemented by contextual observation. The findings reveal a conditional acceptance of the use of artificial intelligence in the Peruvian judicial system. Participants acknowledge its usefulness for support activities, such as case law searches, document organization, and preliminary information analysis; however, they reject its use as a substitute for human judicial decision-making. It is concluded that the legitimacy of using algorithms in the justice system depends on meaningful human oversight, the traceability of results, the explainability of the systems, and the formal recording of their use within the court record. The study provides contextualized empirical evidence on the adoption of AI in the Peruvian judicial system and contributes to the contemporary legal debate on algorithmic governance and procedural safeguards in digitized judicial environments.

Instituciones: Universidad Tecnológica del Perú