Judge Vyacheslav Gorshkov said the technology was employed “for the collection and processing of information” in preparing updated guidelines on civil case procedure. The document revises a decree dating from 2008, reflecting changes to the Russian legal system over the past 18 years.

The AI-assisted draft was not adopted in its original form. Reports indicate that the version generated with the help of AI was circulated for further editing before being finalised.

The move represents a notable development in the growing use of AI within Russia’s judicial system, though it is not without precedent. In autumn 2025, judges in Krasnodar upheld a ruling that appeared to have been written using AI tools.

Official figures cited by Viktor Momotov, former chair of the Council of Judges, suggest that as of May 2025 around 35 per cent of courts in Russia were already using AI in some capacity. He described the technology as a means “to ease the heavy workload of the justice system and understaffing of the court apparatus”.