Justice must remain a human endeavour: CJI
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Tuesday that the administration of justice must remain fundamentally a human endeavour and though artificial intelligence may assist judges, it cannot determine outcomes or exercise judicial discretion.
Delivering an address during his meeting with Igor Krasnov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, at Moscow, the CJI said if technology enhances the capabilities of courts, it is investment in people that determines how effectively those capabilities are utilised.
He said institutions may evolve, technologies may change and new challenges may emerge, but the fundamental purpose of courts remains to uphold justice in a manner that commands public trust.
“Yet, even as we embrace innovation, we remain acutely conscious of its limits. The administration of justice is, and must remain, fundamentally a human endeavour,” the CJI said.
He said AI may assist judges by organising information, facilitating translations, generating transcripts and streamlining administrative processes, but “it cannot determine outcomes, assess witness credibility, evaluate evidence or exercise judicial discretion”.
The CJI asserted that this distinction is reflected in the draft regulations for the use of AI in the judiciary, recently notified by the Supreme Court, which seeks to ensure responsible deployment of AI while preserving judicial independence and human oversight.
He said the supreme courts of India and the Russian Federation serve societies of immense scale and diversity.
Justice Kant said although the legal traditions of the two countries have evolved along different historical paths, “we share a common challenge: how to preserve public confidence in the administration of justice while adapting to a rapidly-changing world”.
He said the effectiveness of modern judiciaries increasingly depends upon two closely-connected factors -- their ability to harness technology intelligently and responsibly, and commitment to investing in people through sustained judicial education and professional development.
“While technology may expand the reach of courts, it is ultimately the learning, integrity and commitment of the judges who serve within them that determine the quality of justice delivered,” he said.
The CJI said the Indian approach towards integrating technology with judicial functioning rests upon the principle that technology is an indispensable and integral part of the justice-delivery system though it need not be utilised to replace judicial values.
“From the outset, our efforts at digital transformation have been motivated by a desire to create a robust judicial mechanism, which can remove practical barriers that prevent citizens from accessing courts efficiently and effectively,” he said.
Justice Kant said technology is a means through which courts can become more accessible, transparent and responsive to the people they serve.
Referring to India’s Electronic Courts Mission Mode Project, the CJI said today, electronic filing, digital case management, digitisation of court records, online access to court records, virtual hearings and video-conferencing facilities have become integral features of judicial administration across the country.
He said similarly, AI is increasingly being used to support judicial administration and legal research.
The CJI said today, judicial education in India extends well beyond traditional legal subjects and through the National Judicial Education Strategy, the country has sought to create a more structured and forward-looking framework for capacity-building across the judiciary.
He said training programmes increasingly focus on emerging areas, such as AI, information and communication technologies, cyber law, digital evidence, court management and leadership within judicial institutions.
“Our ultimate goal is to view judicial education not merely as professional training, but as an investment in the intellectual capital and resilience of the judiciary itself,” he said.
The CJI said as legal systems confront increasingly complex realities, a commitment to continuous learning will remain among the judiciary’s greatest strengths.
He said across jurisdictions, courts are grappling with similar questions -- how to harness technology responsibly, how to maintain public confidence in an increasingly digital environment and how to prepare judicial institutions for scarcely imaginable challenges only a decade ago.
Justice Kant said these shared concerns create a natural basis for closer cooperation between the two jurisdictions.
“There is considerable scope for collaboration through exchanges between judicial academies, joint training programmes, research partnerships and the sharing of best practices between Indian and Russian judiciaries,” he said.
Justice Kant said the future of justice will depend upon the ability to combine technological innovation with enduring human values.
