Cairo, Egypt, 31 August 2026 — The COMESA Court of Justice is participating in the 16th General Assembly and Annual Conference of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), being held in Cairo, Egypt, from 31 August to 2 September 2026. 

The Conference is taking place under the theme: “The African Lawyer in the Age of AI: Leveraging Technology to Achieve a Just and Prosperous Africa.” It has brought together judges, lawyers, representatives of African Bar Associations and Law Societies, policymakers, academics and development partners from across the continent. 

During the opening session, Hon. Justice Sitwala Mwanamwambwa, Judge President of the COMESA Court of Justice, delivered brief remarks introducing delegates to the Court and highlighting its role within the COMESA regional integration framework. He emphasised the Court’s contribution to the objective of promoting economic integration among COMESA Member States through the rule of law. 

Hon. Justice Tewodros Getachew Tulu, Judge of the First Instance Division of the COMESA Court of Justice and President of PALU, delivered the Presidential Opening Address. 

Justice Tewodros observed that artificial intelligence is already changing how businesses, governments and legal professionals work. He called on African lawyers to participate actively in shaping an AI future that reflects Africa’s values, languages, knowledge systems and development priorities. 

He identified several areas in which AI can support the legal profession, including legal research, document review, contract drafting, litigation, arbitration and access to legal information. He noted that responsible use of these tools could reduce the cost of legal services and help extend legal information and assistance to people who have historically faced barriers to justice. 

However, Justice Tewodros cautioned that AI can reproduce bias, generate inaccurate information, fabricate legal authorities and compromise confidential information when used without proper safeguards. He emphasised that professional judgment, ethical responsibility, accountability and verification cannot be transferred to an algorithm. 

The address placed particular emphasis on the development of young lawyers. Justice Tewodros encouraged them to use AI while continuing to read original legal authorities, examine legal reasoning and develop independent professional judgment. He explained that AI should accelerate the development of young lawyers without removing the intellectual process through which they learn to think and act as lawyers. 

Justice Tewodros also announced PALU’s intention to begin a continental dialogue towards developing a Pan-African framework for the ethical and responsible use of AI in the legal profession. The proposed framework would provide practical guidance on client confidentiality, verification of AI-generated legal work, responsibility for inaccurate outputs, bias in automated systems, protection of sensitive African data and the preservation of human professional judgment. 

The participation of the COMESA Court of Justice in the Conference provides an opportunity to engage members of the African legal profession, increase awareness of the Court’s mandate and contribute to discussions on regional integration, access to justice and the responsible use of emerging technology. 

The Conference concludes on 2 September 2026.