Initiative file / Judicial

Filing Classifier

Evidence record v2

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Institution
Judicial Branch
Editorial classification
Verified adoption
Initiative type
AI system
Documented phase
Operational
Relationship to AI in the source
Explicit relationship to AI
Execution evidence
Confirmed
First evidence
Last verified
Next review: Dec 8, 2026

Documented scope

What it is

Judicial Branch AI system that uses machine learning and optical character recognition to read and automatically classify filings submitted to specialized debt collection courts. The institution documents its deployment across the entire debt collection jurisdiction.

Objective stated by the institution

Automatically assign a type to filings submitted to specialized debt collection courts in order to organize work and speed up case processing.

Known timeline

Only milestones with an explicit date in the sources or editorial review are shown.

  1. First evidence
  2. Pilot start
  3. Latest editorial verification
  4. Next scheduled review

Evidence reading

Each dimension is assessed separately. Undetermined marks an evidence gap; not applicable means the dimension does not correspond to the documented object.

What is confirmed

  • The pilot began in Pérez Zeledón in March 2020, and the Superior Council approved its nationwide expansion in December 2022.
  • The system uses machine learning and optical character recognition to extract text and identify the type of filing.
  • Circular 241-2025 requires feedback to the Classifier and manual classification when the system does not resolve a filing.
  • Judicial Bulletin 165-2026 places Depurador de Escritos, an enhancement associated with the Classifier, within SIGMA; it does not place the entire system there.

What could not be determined

  • No public independent measurement of current accuracy after nationwide deployment was found.
  • The sources do not isolate the Classifier's effect on response times or caseload from other tools and management measures.

Documented results

Results are published only when a source traceably attributes them to this initiative.

  1. The Judicial Branch reported 223,689 filings processed and 89% effectiveness from March 2021 through August 2023, during the pilot, training and refinement stages.

    [3]
  2. According to the Judicial Branch, the Classifier processed 1,302,899 filings across the debt collection jurisdiction from January 1 through November 29, 2024.

    [4]

Evidence matrix

Existence

Confirmed

Execution

Confirmed

AI technique

Confirmed

Operational AI use

Confirmed

Results

Confirmed

Governance

Partially confirmed

Sources and traceability

Sources state which claims they support, their origin and the date on which they were consulted.

  1. [1]
    Judicial Branch implements artificial intelligence to reduce the debt-collection caseload
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Consulted

    Supports: existence · stated objective · execution · AI technique · operational use · reported result

  2. [2]
    Judicial Branch advances artificial intelligence in its debt collection courts
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Published
    Consulted

    Supports: existence · stated objective · execution · AI technique · operational use · reported result · governance

  3. [3]
    Judicial Branch receives international recognition for technological progress and gender commitment
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Published
    Consulted

    Supports: existence · AI technique · reported result

  4. [4]
    Debt collection courts reach their lowest caseload in four years in 2024
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Published
    Consulted

    Supports: existence · execution · operational use · reported result

  5. [5]
    Circular 241-2025: mandatory feedback for the Filing Classifier artificial intelligence system
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Published
    Consulted

    Supports: execution · operational use · governance

  6. [6]
    Judicial Bulletin 165-2026: use of Depurador de Escritos associated with the Classifier
    Publisher
    Poder Judicial de Costa Rica
    Source type
    Official primary source
    Published
    Consulted

    Supports: execution · operational use · governance

Open questions

  • What are the accuracy, error rate and volume of manual corrections after nationwide deployment?
  • What documented audit, traceability, notice and appeal mechanisms complement feedback and manual fallback?

Context

The pilot began in Pérez Zeledón in March 2020; the Superior Council approved expansion in December 2022, and an institutional source confirmed nationwide operation in 2024. Circular 241-2025 requires feedback to the system and manual classification when needed. In 2026, the Judicial Branch documented an enhancement called Depurador de Escritos within SIGMA; this does not imply that the entire Classifier is hosted in SIGMA.

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