Practice Direction 18 Ushers AI into Belize’s Senior Courts

Belize is making legal history with a brave step into the future. The Senior Courts have officially embraced artificial intelligence, becoming one of the first in the Commonwealth Caribbean to do so. On August twelfth, Practice Direction Eighteen came into effect, setting clear rules for how generative AI can be used in court. Judges, attorneys, and court staff can now tap into AI for research and drafting, but with strict safeguards: accuracy, confidentiality, and transparency are non-negotiable. AI can assist, but human judgment still leads the way. Every AI-generated document must be verified, and accountability stays with the user. Beyond technology, this is a pledge to uphold trust. Belize is now one of the first countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean to formally integrate AI into its legal system. The aim is to make justice faster, strengthen public confidence, and ensure technology works for fairness, not against it.