21 September 2026

Council of Europe draft report on AI and new technologies cites Veronika Fikfak

Council of Europe · Draft report CDDH-TE(2026)03 · 21 September 2026

A Council of Europe draft report on the European Court of Human Rights’ use of new technologies draws on Veronika Fikfak and Laurence R. Helfer’s publication, “Automating International Human Rights Adjudication” (Michigan Journal of International Law, 2025), as well as Veronika’s expert reflections on AI and judicial bodies. Prepared by the Steering Committee for Human Rights’ drafting group on new technologies (CDDH-TE), the report considers how digital tools can improve access to justice and the Court’s work, while safeguarding human rights, judicial independence and public trust.

The report uses the article in its discussion of fair trial guarantees, where it explains how AI systems used to categorise a case at the outset may determine its subsequent procedural pathway, affect a litigant’s right to adversarial proceedings, and even predetermine the outcome — automation is not simply an administrative efficiency measure.

The draft also draws on Veronika’s expert contribution, “Reflections on the use of new technologies, including AI, by judicial bodies, in particular the European Court of Human Rights” (CDDH-TE(2026)02), on the evolving nature of human rights law, automation and confirmation bias, and the particular stakes of unfairness in international courts whose decisions are not subject to further review. The report records her participation in the group’s first exchange of views, held on 11–13 May 2026, and is a draft, not an adopted Council of Europe policy.