How Does Public Trust in the Judiciary Shape Acceptability of Judges' AI-assisted Adjudications——An Empirical Study Based on Questionnaire Data

Unpacking how public trust in the judiciary shapes public acceptance of judges' AI-assisted adjudications is crucial to consolidating public support for ongoing digital judicial reforms. Drawing on valid data from 537 questionnaires,an empirical analysis with structural equation modeling demonstrates that public trust in the judiciary remains a key predictor of public acceptance of AI-assisted judicial rulings in digital justice scenarios. Meanwhile,public trust in technology has also become a salient predictor of public acceptance of AI-assisted judges' rulings. Together,these two constructs jointly determine public attitudes toward AI-assisted adjudications. Regarding its underlying mechanisms,public trust in the judiciary shapes acceptance of AI-assisted adjudications primarily via citizens' fairness perceptions. Among such fairness perceptions,procedural fairness exerts a stronger predictive effect than substantive fairness within digital justice frameworks. To enhance public acceptance of AI-assisted judicial rulings,policymakers should retain AI as an auxiliary tool in judicial decision-making and capitalize on existing public trust in the judiciary to promote the digital justice reform. The scope of AI participation should be calibrated based on case complexity to safeguard substantive fairness in the complex cases. Furthermore,specialized supporting procedural rules for AI-assisted adjudications should be formulated to offset the negative effects of technology on procedural fairness.