Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai addressed the academic forum at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, emphasising the transformative role technology plays in India’s judiciary.
He stated that technology not only improves court efficiency but also makes justice more inclusive and accessible for citizens across the country.
India’s Judicial System: One Of The Largest And Most Complex
CJI Gavai described India’s judicial system as one of the world’s largest and most complex.
He highlighted that Article 32 of the Indian Constitution empowers citizens to approach the Supreme Court directly, while Article 226 grants high courts broad jurisdiction.
With thousands of cases filed daily nationwide, ensuring timely and fair justice delivery remains a significant challenge.
The Chief Justice noted the landmark progress made through the e-Courts project initiated in the early 2000s, which digitalised processes such as case filing, listing, and tracking.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, India rapidly adopted virtual court hearings.
In 2020 alone, courts conducted over 5.5 million hearings via video conferencing, positioning India as a global leader in digital justice.
Today, many courts use hybrid hearing models combining online and offline proceedings, allowing lawyers and litigants to participate from any location, reducing travel costs and democratizing access to justice.
CJI Gavai Acknowledges Challenges Of Digital Divide
Despite these advances, CJI Gavai acknowledged persistent inequalities. Rural areas, tribal communities, and women often lack digital access.
A 2023 survey by the Indigenous Navigator Community and the Women & Gender Research Centre revealed that 65% of tribal populations in Jharkhand lack access to legal aid, 88% face education barriers due to language and cultural differences, and 77% reported the absence of tribal languages on government portals.
CJI Highlights Role Of AI
To tackle linguistic challenges, the Supreme Court launched SUVAS, an AI-based legal translation software that converts judgments from English into various Indian languages.
This initiative is expanding to high courts.
The Chief Justice also highlighted AI’s emerging role in case management, document translation, and predictive analysis, but cautioned against ethical risks such as algorithmic bias, data privacy issues, and misinformation.
He stressed that AI must serve only as an aid and never replace human judgment, empathy, and judicial interpretation.
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