ETHICS AND JURIMETRICS: AN ARISTOTELIAN ANALYSIS BASED ON A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Technological advances have significantly expanded the capacity to collect and analyze large volumes of data, fostering the development of jurimetrics as an empirical method applied to law. By employing statistical techniques to examine the functioning of the justice system, jurimetrics contributes to more informed decision-making, less dependent on individual perceptions or purely rhetorical reasoning. Despite its potential, its use raises relevant ethical concerns, including the risk of dehumanizing judicial decisions, indirect pressure on judges, and the strategic manipulation of data. In this context, this article examines whether and to what extent jurimetrics can be compatible with ethically responsible legal practice. The analysis adopts Aristotelian ethics as its theoretical framework, structured around the notions of knowledge, balance, and practical wisdom, and applies it to a jurimetric study conducted by the Brazilian Association of Jurimetrics (ABJ) on the duration of adoption proceedings in Brazil. It argues that jurimetrics, when used as a support tool rather than a substitute for human judgment, can enhance more balanced and responsible legal decisions.